A holographic occlusion detection system has a white-light holographic label (204) placed onto a sensing portion or surface (206) of a pressure sensor (106) connected to infusion tubing (104, 108). The pressure sensor at the sensing portion can have a relatively thin wall section and may be wider and flatter than a normal cross section of the infusion tubing. The label is then illuminated by a polychromatic light source (214), and the light reflected off the holographic label is then received by a photodetector (216). Pressure changes within the tubing cause a change in orientation of the white-light holographic label, thereby resulting in a shift in the peak wavelength of the reflective light sensed by the photodetector. This shift in wavelength can then be calibrated to the swelling of the sensing portion so that pressure within the infusion line can be calculated. In another variation, monochromatic light is reflected off a holographic label, and pressure changes are detected by measuring the amplitude of the reflected light.
