A micro optic pharyngeal manometric sensor for deglutition analysis was constructed. The optical manometric sensor was composed of a fluid-sensitive and air-sensitive fiber-optic pressure sensor (extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric type) and a lateral pressure-sensitive attachment. The manometric sensor was circumferential type, and had a very small diameter (distal: 2.08 mm, mesial: 0.99 mm). The output current of the sensor was linearly related to the output of a conventional catheter-type solid-state pressure sensor over a range of -3.0 x 10(4) to 3.0 x 10(4) N/m(2). The time constants of responsiveness were 12.2 +/- 2.7 ms during rapid decompression and 32.1 +/- 1.6 ms after a rapid return to ambient pressure. The optical pharyngeal manometric sensor had similar response time characteristics as the naked optical sensor and the conventional solid-state sensor. During in vivo measurement, the waveform of the optical pharyngeal manometer output was almost similar to the waveform of the output of the conventional sensor. The optical manometer could sufficiently detect the lateral pressure and the suction pressure for bolus transit generated in the P-E segment.