Electric component including coil and method for fabricating electric component by 3D printing

Abstract

To fabricate an electric component including a coil suitable for sensing a location of medical devices.SOLUTION: An electric component including a coil and a method for fabricating the electric component by 3D-printing are disclosed. The present method includes: 3D printing a magnetic material for forming a magnetic channel including a magnetic core of a coil device; 3D printing a conductive material for forming a conductive channel including a conductive winding of the coil device, having turns surrounding the magnetic core; and 3D printing a non-magnetic electric insulation material for forming an electric insulator in between turns of the conductive winding of the coil device. According to some embodiments, a functional structure of the turn of the conductive winding of the coil and the electric component including the electric insulator in between the turns each are 3D-printed by a processing dimension in the minimum layer of at least two voxels of the 3D printing. According to some embodiments, the method enables 3D printing a flat coil device that has a low aspect ratio in between a length along a magnetic axis and a width vertical to the magnetic axis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 533,258, filed Aug. 17, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety as if set forth herein.

[0002] FIELD OF THEINVENTION The present invention is in the field of magnetic field sensors, and in particular relates to techniques for fabricating electrical components including coils suitable for magnetic field based position sensing, especially for sensing the position of medical devices. [Background technology]

[0003] In various therapeutic and diagnostic procedures, catheters / probes are inserted into a patient's body (e.g., a cardiac chamber) where they are brought into contact with bodily tissue. Typically, in such procedures, it is necessary to determine the location of the catheter within the body (i.e., where the distal tip of the catheter engages bodily tissue) and the pressure it exerts on the tissue.

[0004] Catheters having integrated location and pressure sensors for sensing the location of the catheter and the pressure / force applied thereby to the tissue contact area are commonly known. Such catheters typically utilize an inductive coil to determine the location of the catheter within the body and / or the pressure / force applied thereby to the body tissue with which the catheter engages.

[0005] Conventional techniques for such catheters often utilize a wire-wound coil into which a ferrite core may be manually inserted after winding. The coil thus fabricated is then soldered to a cable that carries the coil signal to processing circuitry and mounted within the body of the catheter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] In order to better understand the subject matter disclosed herein, and to illustrate how it may be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a 3D printed electrical component 100 including a coil 120, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a 3D printed electrical component 100 including a coil 120, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1C] 1C is a cross-sectional view of a coil in the electrical component 100 of FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a method 200 for fabricating one or more coils 120 or electrical components 100 including coils by 3D printing, according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 3A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical component 100 including a coil 120 according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3B] 1 is a side view of a coil 120 in an electrical component 100 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3C] FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional top view of a coil 120 within the electrical component 100 of FIGS. 3A and 3B. [Figure 3D] 1C is a cross-sectional view of the coil 120 shown in FIG. 1C, where the grid lines indicate the distribution of pixels / voxels within a particular 3D printed plane / layer of the coil 120. [Figure 3E] FIG. 3D is a perspective cross-sectional view of the conductive winding 124 of the coil 120 taken along the cross-sectional plane CP shown in FIG. [Figure 3F] 3E is a cross-section of conductive winding 124 taken along cross-section SP1 shown in FIG. 3E. [Figure 3G] 3E is a cross-section of conductive winding 124 taken along cross section SP2 shown in FIG. [Figure 3H] 3B is a side view of conductive winding 124 taken from lateral side A of coil 120 of FIG. 3A. [Figure 3I]3B is a side view of conductive winding 124 taken from lateral side C of coil 120 of FIG. 3A. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a 3D printed electronic component 100 including / formed as a flat coil 120 having a low / small aspect ratio between its length and width along the magnetic axis, according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a side view of a flat coil 120 3D printed within the electronic component 100 of FIG. 4A. [Figure 5A] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a 3D printed electrical component according to some embodiments of the present invention, in these examples a coil device 120 having a helical magnetic core. [Figure 5B] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a 3D printed electrical component according to some embodiments of the present invention, in these examples a coil device 120 having a helical magnetic core. [Figure 5C] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a 3D printed electrical component according to some embodiments of the present invention, in these examples a coil device 120 having a helical magnetic core. [Figure 5D] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a 3D printed electrical component according to some embodiments of the present invention, in these examples a coil device 120 having a helical magnetic core. [Figure 6A] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an electrical component 3D printed in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, in these examples a coil 120 having multiple magnetic sub-channels, each magnetic sub-channel including a spiral-shaped magnetic core section. [Figure 6B] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an electrical component 3D printed in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, in these examples a coil 120 having multiple magnetic sub-channels, each magnetic sub-channel including a spiral-shaped magnetic core section. [Figure 6C] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an electrical component 3D printed in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, in these examples a coil 120 having multiple magnetic sub-channels, each magnetic sub-channel including a spiral-shaped magnetic core section. [Figure 7A]FIG. 1 is a diagram of an electrical component 3D printed in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, in these examples a coil 120 having a serpentine-shaped magnetic core. [Figure 7B] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an electrical component 3D printed in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, in these examples a coil 120 having a serpentine-shaped magnetic core. [Figure 8A] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a 3D printed electrical component according to some embodiments of the present invention, in these examples a coil 120 having a coiled magnetic core. [Figure 8B] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a 3D printed electrical component according to some embodiments of the present invention, in these examples a coil 120 having a coiled magnetic core. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a medical device 1000 including a magnetic field-based positioning sensor 300 including a coil configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0007] Like reference numbers are used in the drawings to indicate elements / portions of the electrical components of the present invention having similar functions. For the sake of brevity and brevity, the description of such like elements / portions will not necessarily be repeated for each of the embodiments, but it will be understood that in other embodiments not shown, the description of elements / portions having the same configuration and / or function as made in any one of the embodiments may also be applicable to the other embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] There is a need in the catheter art for a physically agile and sensitive catheter having compact / narrow dimensions that can provide accurate feedback regarding the location of the catheter within the body, the contact interface between the catheter and tissue, and the forces (e.g., vectors) applied between them.

[0009] U.S. Patent No. 8,535,308 and U.S. Patent Application No. 2020 / 015693, both of which are assigned to the assignee of the present application, disclose such catheter configurations that utilize sensing circuits having several coils to sense, for example, the location and orientation of the catheter body and the force applied thereby to the interface with tissue.

[0010] One challenge in such catheter technology is fitting accurate location and force sensors within the narrow body of the catheter, whose lateral dimensions are typically only a few millimeters. Indeed, as previously mentioned, in conventional catheter technology, location and force sensors generally utilize micro-wire wound coils into which ferrite cores can be manually inserted in an open magnetic circuit configuration to generate sufficient induced voltage suitable for location and force sensing of catheter components. However, these conventional techniques are time consuming, expensive, and involve delicate manual manipulation to fit the coils within the small dimensions of the catheter body.

[0011] Thus, there is a need in the art for more efficient and cost-effective techniques for the fabrication of such catheters, as well as for fabrication of small, highly sensitive coils (i.e., having high induced voltage in response to a magnetic field) suitable for use in catheter location and force sensing as disclosed above. Additionally, there is a need in the art for automated fabrication techniques for such coils, or electronic components including such coils, suitable for mass production resulting in standardized coils with low variability between coils fabricated with the same design. Additionally, there is a need in the art for further emergence in the catheter art to facilitate the fabrication of even smaller and / or higher impedance / induced voltage coils, improving either or both of the sensitivity and agility of the catheter, and / or achieving reduced catheter dimensions.

[0012] The present invention provides a novel and inventive electrical component comprising one or more coils suitable for use as / in a magnetic field sensor of a magnetic field-based positioning system. Additionally, the present invention provides a novel and inventive method of fabricating an electrical component comprising such coil(s) utilizing 3D printing techniques. In an embodiment, the electrical component may be fabricated with coil(s) of compact dimensions while providing a relatively high induced voltage in response to a sensed magnetic field, and thus is particularly suitable for use as a position sensor for sensing the position of compact medical devices such as catheters having narrow dimensions.

[0013] 1A and 1B together, an example of an electrical component 100 including a coil 120 is shown, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The component 100 includes a body 110 having at least one coil 120 defined / fabricated therein by multi-material 3D printing.

[0014] In accordance with the present technique, the electrical component 100 (and the coil(s) 120 therein) is fabricated by 3D printing of at least three different 3D printable materials M1-M3. These 3D printable materials M1-M3 are: - at least one type of magnetic material M1 that is used / 3D printed to form at least magnetic channel(s) 129 of coil 120, typically including magnetic core 122 of coil 120. Optionally, magnetic channel 129 also includes magnetic flux collector 126, which may be coupled to magnetic core 122 from both ends thereof and has a larger surface / cross-sectional area than the core, facilitating higher magnetic flux channeling through the core, thereby improving the sensitivity of the coil to magnetic fields from a desired field direction. - at least one type of conductive (generally non-magnetic) material M2 that is used / 3D printed to form the conductive channels 128 of the coil 120, including the conductive windings 124 and their contact terminals 123 (the contact terminals are not specifically shown in FIG. 1A ); and - includes at least one type of dielectric / non-electrically conductive material M3 that is used / 3D printed to form the bulk portion of the body 110 of the electrical component 100 in areas where the magnetic and conductive materials are excluded. The gaps between adjacent windings / turns 124 are filled with 3D printed non-electrically conductive material, which may be, for example, a non-magnetic dielectric material M3 3D printed within the bulk portion of the body 110 of the electrical component 100, and / or the magnetic material M1 used to print the magnetic channels if it is non-electrically conductive (i.e., a sufficiently electrically insulating material).

[0015] Figure 1A shows a perspective view of an electrical component 100 with a coil 120 therein and with the bulk material M3 of the body 110 shown / illustrated with a translucent color / shade to allow the coil 120 therein to be seen. Figure 1B shows a side view of a portion of the coil 120 3D printed within the electrical component 100 shown in Figure 1A, but excluding the bulk material M3 of the body 110 of the electrical component 100 (not shown) to more clearly show the coil 120, as well as optional magnetic flux collector 126 (not shown).

[0016] As shown, coil 120 includes a magnetic channel 129, which in this example includes a core 122 of coil 120 with two optional magnetic flux collectors 126 disposed from either end thereof. Coil 120 also includes an electrical channel 128, which is arranged / configured to produce an induced voltage through an electrical terminal 123 (not specifically shown in FIG. 1A ) of electrical channel 128 in response to magnetic flux propagation through core 122.

[0017] To this end, it should be understood that in various embodiments, the magnetic channel 129 and the electrical channel 128 may have different shapes. In general, at least one of the magnetic channel 129 and the electrical channel 128 has a coiled / twisted arrangement (e.g., a helical or otherwise twisted arrangement) and is wrapped / surrounded or otherwise twisted around the other of the magnetic channel 128 and the electrical channel 129 to produce an induced voltage in the electrical channel 128 in response to magnetic flux propagation through the core 122 of the magnetic channel 129.

[0018] In this regard, in the non-limiting example of Figures 1A and 1B, a magnetic core 122 having a straight / rod-like shape is illustrated within the magnetic channel 129, while the electrical channel 128 has a conductive winding 124 that is rotated / twisted / coiled to form a plurality of turns 124.1-124.n wrapped around / placed around the magnetic core 122 of the magnetic channel 129 such that an induced voltage is generated within the electrical channel 128 in response to magnetic flux passing through the core 122 of the magnetic channel 129. In this regard, it is noted that the magnetic channel 129 and / or its magnetic core 122 do not necessarily need to be molded to form a straight / rod-like core, but may be 3D printed in other shapes that are rotated / twisted / coiled within the body of the electrical component 100. For example, the core 122 may be formed in a spiral, serpentine, or coil shape with the winding 124 surrounding multiple regions thereof. Such core shapes may be used to facilitate the generation of a sufficiently high induced voltage to provide a desired sensitivity of the coil 120 to magnetic fields from a desired magnetic field direction / axis F of the coil 120, with the desired dimensional constraints of the coil 120 or the electrical component 100 as a whole. For example, in Figures 4A and 4B, described in more detail below, an example of a 3D printed coil 120 has a low / small aspect ratio between its length along its magnetic axis F and its width / lateral dimension (which in this case is the direction of 3D printing Z), and in this example, the magnetic channel 129 of the coil 120 has a twisted shape and turns 127 of the channel 129 between the magnetic flux collector 126 and the core 122, such that the core 122 has a longer length to accommodate the conductive windings 124 that extend along the longer lateral dimension of the coil 120 and surround it than it would have in the case of a straight core extending along a shorter length of the coil 120 along the magnetic field axis F.For example, in another example shown in Figures 5A-8B, which will be described in more detail below, various 3D printed coils 120 according to embodiments of the present invention are shown with magnetic channels 129 (e.g., magnetic cores 122) having twisted shapes, either helical, multiple / double helical, serpentine, and / or coiled, whereby these twisted core shapes facilitate longer lengths of core 122 passing through or otherwise surrounding the windings of electrical channel 128, thereby increasing the amount of magnetic flux induced voltage within electrical channel 128 and improving the sensitivity of the coil, while facilitating various desired dimensional constraints of the coil (enabling it to fit within a small medical device).

[0019] Optionally, as also illustrated in FIG. 1A , the magnetic channel 129 of the coil 120 includes a magnetic flux collector(s) 126 magnetically coupled to the core 122 of the channel 129. The magnetic flux collector(s) 126 are typically a pair coupled to opposite sides of the core 122 and configured with respective relatively large (e.g., typically larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the core 122) faces / surfaces perpendicular to the magnetic axis F of the coil 120, such that they can collect magnetic flux propagating along the direction of the magnetic axis F of the coil and direct the magnetic flux through the core (thereby improving the sensitivity of the coil). As illustrated, the magnetic flux collector is optional and is included within the magnetic channel 129 in some embodiments where the cross-section of the magnetic core 122 is small / narrow and / or the magnetic core 122 does not extend in a direction substantially parallel to the magnetic axis F.

[0020] Optionally, as also illustrated in FIG. 1A , the electrical channel 128 of the coil 120 includes a conductive winding 124 including multiple turns surrounding the magnetic core 122 such that a voltage is induced therein in response to magnetic flux passing through the core 120. The conductive winding 124 is optional, and in some implementations, as previously described, the magnetic core 120 itself may be wound / rotated to surround the electrical channel 128, such that magnetic flux propagating therein surrounds the electrical channel 128 and induces a voltage therein. In various embodiments, the conductive winding 124 may be configured / 3D printed to surround the magnetic core 120 in a coil-like shape / path (as shown in the example of FIG. 1A ) and / or in a spiral-like shape / path within one or more of the printed layers and / or in the shape of multiple concentric coils (as shown in the examples of FIGS. 3A-3I ).

[0021] In general, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, electrical component 100 of the present invention may include / be fabricated with one or more coils 120 therein, and may optionally be fabricated with other electrical circuit elements (not specifically shown), such as capacitors and / or resistors and / or electrical connections therebetween. Those skilled in the art will readily understand how to fabricate / 3D print such other electrical circuit elements within electrical component 100 of the present invention, optionally utilizing additional 3D printable materials not specifically exemplified herein, such as electrically resistive material to fabricate resistors, and / or material of selected dielectric properties that is 3D printed between the conductive plates of the capacitors.

[0022] According to some aspects of the invention, the electrical component 100 of the invention is fabricated utilizing a 3D printing method (additive manufacturing technique) that includes layer-by-layer deposition (and optional curing) along a printing direction Z of at least three printable materials M1-M3 as described above. Typically, the at least three types of printable materials include magnetic material(s) M1 that are used to print the magnetic channels 129 of the coil 120 (including the magnetic core 122 and its optional magnetic flux collectors 126), conductive material(s) M2 that are used to print the electrical channels 128 of the coil (including the conductive windings 124 and their electrical contacts / terminals), and a non-magnetic, electrically insulating (dielectric) material that is 3D printed to form the bulk portion of the body 110 of the electrical component 100 and that typically / optionally fills gaps between the coil's windings 124 to provide electrical insulation therebetween.

[0023] The term magnetic material and / or magnetic particles is used herein to refer to magnetic materials having high relative magnetic permeability μ r For example, a material with a vacuum permeability of μ r ≧100, more preferably, in some cases μ r ≧500 or more μ r It is used herein to indicate a material having a relative magnetic permeability on the order of ≧5000. Conversely, the terms non-magnetic material and / or non-magnetic particles are used herein to indicate a material having a relative magnetic permeability substantially lower than that of the magnetic materials used in the fabrication of electronic components, typically less than μ r Low relative permeability μ is about 1. r Used to indicate the material.

[0024] 2, a flow diagram of a method 200 for fabricating an electrical component 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention by multi-material 3D printing is shown, in this case utilizing at least three different materials M1-M3 to print the electrical component(s) 100.

[0025] In operation 210 of method 200, a model of one or more electrical components 100 is provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The model may include one or more electrical components 100 constructed in accordance with principles of the present invention, as described above with reference to Figures 1A and 1B and / or as described below with reference to Figures 3A-8B. The model shows a 3D spatial distribution (voxel map) of at least three materials M1-M3 that are 3D printed to fabricate the electrical component(s) 100 of the present invention. In particular, the model shows the spatial distribution of each of the three materials M1-M3 to be 3D printed to form an electrical component 100 having at least one coil 120 in accordance with the present invention.

[0026] Typically, multi-material 3D printing according to method 200 operates by successively printing one layer on top of another along a printing direction Z (e.g., L1, L2 through L3 in FIGS. 1B, 3D, 3E, 3H, and 3I). n (See the layer designated with a ). The spatial distribution of the three materials M1-M3 in the model is such that it results in the printing of one or more electrical components 100, each including at least one coil 120, configured in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] In operation 220 of the method 200, multi-material 3D printing is applied to print one or more magnetic field sensors 100 based on the spatial distribution of three or more materials M1-M3 in the model. Multi-material 3D printing can be performed, for example, by using a photopolymerization 3D printing technique to print layers L1, L2-L3 composed of a combination of several materials with different electromagnetic properties. n (e.g., two, three, or optionally four or more materials having different electromagnetic properties may be printed in each layer.) In a typical example, the 3D printing of the electrical component 100 described above involves printing a spatial distribution of at least three materials M1-M3 having different electromagnetic properties.

[0028] To this end, in various embodiments, the electrically conductive material M2 may comprise, for example, silver and / or copper and / or palladium and / or a silver-palladium alloy. The magnetic material M1 may comprise, for example, a ceramic-ferrite material and / or a metallic material. In some embodiments, the magnetic material M1 has a relative permeability μ of at least 100 or more. r Preferably, the magnetic material M1, especially the magnetic material used to print the magnetic channel 129 having a coiled / twisted shape or other non-linear shape, has a relative permeability μ of the order of 500 or more, and even more preferably of the order of 5000 or more, to facilitate efficient channeling of magnetic flux through its bends / curves 127. r The non-magnetic, dielectric (electrically insulating) material M3 (also referred to herein as the bulk material) may include, for example, ceramics and / or glass-ceramics.

[0029] 3D printing of the electrical component(s) 100 may be implemented using, for example, stereolithography (SLA) or digital light processing (DLP) for pattern implementation / projection, for example based on the principle of liquid vat photopolymerization. The invention is not limited to these specific techniques and may generally be implemented with other multi-material 3D printing techniques that may be developed that are suitable for the fabrication of electrical components according to the invention.

[0030] The present technology utilizes 3D printed layers with layer thicknesses scaled down to the micrometer range to print electrical component(s) 100 with small feature sizes (e.g., sintered layer thicknesses may be on the order of about 8-10 micrometers). The pixelated intra-layer resolution of the printing may be such that the pitch / width of the printed voxels is on the order of about 12-25 micrometers laterally within the layer (i.e., with respect to the lateral coordinates X, Y).

[0031] In some embodiments of the present invention, functional features of electrical component(s) 100 are printed with a minimum intra-layer feature size of at least 2 voxels to avoid malfunction of electrical component(s) 100 due to misprinting of single / individual voxels. Thus, features of electrical component(s) 100 printed in a layer may be printed with a small characteristic intra-layer lateral size of about 24-50 micrometers or less (this takes into account that the lateral pitch / width of a voxel in a layer is about 12-25 micrometers, and the preference to print each critical / functional feature with a minimum intra-layer feature size of at least 2 voxels).

[0032] In this regard, reference is made to FIG. 1C, which shows a cross section of the electrical component(s) 100 shown in FIG. 1B, across the winding turn 124.2, along the plane / printing layer CS marked thereon. As shown, the turn 124.2 is not closed (open in the area OP) so as to be connected to other turns of the conductive winding 124 above and below it through conductive vias 121 (thus forming the conductive winding 124 within the electrical channel 128 of the coil). It should be noted that the term via (e.g. referring to the element marked 121 in the figure) is used herein to indicate a part / portion (e.g. an integral part thereof) of the conductive channel 128 that is 3D printed to electrically connect between the turns of the conductive winding 124 printed above or below each other in different layers.

[0033] FIG. 1C illustrates a grid of pixels PG that shows the distribution of voxels within a particular printed layer of electrical component 100. P X and P Ymarks the lateral width / pitch of a voxel along each of the lateral (intra-layer) X and Y dimensions (which, as discussed above, may be on the order of 12-25 micrometers when printing compact electrical components). As shown, in this non-limiting example, electrical channel 128, which contains the turns of winding 124 of coil 120 (which are the functional elements of coil 120), is printed with a minimum intra-layer feature dimension of at least 2 voxels. Also, insulator 125, which separates a portion of electrical channel 128 from other portions of winding 124 (e.g., between turns 124.1-124.n) or from optionally other conductive elements of the electrical component (such as core 122, which may be conductive in this non-limiting example), is printed with a minimum intra-layer feature dimension of at least 2 voxels.

[0034] In this context, the phrase minimum intralayer feature dimension is used herein to constitute the minimum lateral size in voxels / pixels of a functional feature of an electrical component along any lateral (X and / or Y) direction of the 3D print within each layer being printed. This means that, in this example, by "cutting" any portion of a functional feature, such as electrical channel 128 and / or insulator 125, across any printed layer with a cut surface orientation perpendicular to the printing direction (i.e., parallel to the layer), the visible dimension of the cross-sectional area of ​​the functional feature within the cut (within the layer) is equal to or greater than two 3D printed voxels / voxels filled (or assumed to be filled in the case of a misprint) with a suitable material (e.g., M2 for conductive channel 128 and M3 for insulator 125) along each of the X and Y lateral dimensions / axes. In other words, the minimum intralayer cross-sectional area of ​​any functional feature is at least 2x2 voxels / pixels printed within the layer. In this regard, it is noted that in at least some 3D printing techniques, features the size of a single pixel / voxel in a printed layer (e.g., a single pixel / voxel isolated from any sequence of contiguous pixels / voxels of the same material in a printed layer) may occasionally be misprinted. Thus, by ensuring that the functional features of the electrical component 100 of the present invention are printed with a minimum intra-layer feature size of at least two voxels along each lateral direction X and Y, such misprinting of single voxels is mitigated, and ensures that even if a single voxel is misprinted in a layer, the respective misprinted functional feature still operates properly. With respect to the insulator 125, it is noted that in various embodiments in which the insulator 125 is 3D printed of the same material as the bulk portion of the monolithic body 110, there may not be any specific features to distinguish the insulator 125 from other portions of the monolithic body 110.Thus, the term insulator 125 is used herein with respect to its functional property to provide electrical insulation between conductive features of electrical component 100, such as between winding turns, and it should be made clear that with respect to this functional property, any set of voxels of electrical insulating material printed in each layer along the shortest path(s) between conductive features in the layer should be considered as part of the insulator 125 between said conductive features. Thus, under this definition, the minimum intra-layer feature dimension of the insulator is such that the shortest insulating path(s) in voxels between conductive features / voxels in the layer extend through at least two voxels of the layer.

[0035] Thus, any individual misprint of a single voxel in the electrical channel 128 will not cause an electrical disconnection in the electrical channel 128, and any individual misprint of a single voxel in the insulator 125 will not affect an electrical short in the electrical channel 128. Similarly, it should be appreciated that the magnetic channel 129 is also printed with a minimum in-layer feature size of at least two voxels (although in some implementations it is 3D printed with an in-layer feature size substantially larger than two voxels to facilitate efficient propagation of magnetic flux through the magnetic channel 129).

[0036] To this end, in this example, the turns of the electrical channel 128 extend along at least one of the lateral dimensions X and Y over an intralayer lateral width W of at least two voxels. X and / or W Y1 and is printed one layer high to have at least the minimum intra-layer feature size of two voxels. Thus, any individual voxel misprint in the winding will not cause an electrical disconnect in the electrical channel 128 and will not disrupt operation of the coil 120. Additionally, as in this specific, non-limiting example, the magnetic material M1 from which the core 122 is made is an electrically conductive metal (i.e., note that, as described below, the core 122 and / or the magnetic channel 129 are not necessarily made of a conductive metal - see the discussion below regarding printing the magnetic channel 129 with an electrically insulating ceramic ferrite material), and thus the insulator 125 is printed between the conductive winding 124 and the core 122 to prevent shorting of the winding 124. The insulator 125 also has a respective intra-layer lateral width I of at least two pixels along the lateral dimensions X and Y. X and I Y 120. Each functional feature of electrical component 100 is printed with a minimum in-layer feature size of at least two voxels, such that the minimum in-layer feature size is at least two voxels. Thus, any single voxel misprint in insulator 125 will not cause a short in electrical channel 128 and disrupt the operation of coil 120. To this end, method 200 facilitates robust and reliable fabrication of the electrical component by utilizing printing each functional feature of electrical component 100 with an in-layer feature size of at least two voxels.

[0037] To perform 3D printing, at least three curable resins corresponding to the materials M1, M2, and M3 are provided. More specifically, the curable resins used in 3D printing of the magnetic field sensor 100 of the present invention include, for example: - a magnetic material resin comprising particles of a magnetic material M1 of a soft magnetic material suspended in a curable polymer binder. The particles of the magnetic material M1 may comprise, for example, particles of a ceramic-ferrite material. It is noted that, alternatively, in some embodiments, the particles of the magnetic material M1 may comprise particles of a magnetic metallic material such as iron alloys, iron-silicon alloys, iron-aluminum-silicon alloys, low carbon steel, nickel-iron alloys, iron-cobalt alloys, ferrites, amorphous alloys, and possibly nickel-cobalt alloys (particularly if they have soft magnetic properties). In embodiments in which a microcoil is fabricated in the monolithic body 110, the particles of the magnetic material used may be provided with characteristic sizes, for example, on the micrometer to sub-micrometer scale, especially if the magnetic channel 129 of the coil exhibits delicate features. - a conductive material resin comprising particles of conductive material M2 suspended in a curable polymer binder. The particles of conductive material M2 may comprise, for example, a silver material, a copper material, a palladium material, and / or a silver-palladium alloy. The specific selection of a suitable conductive material may generally depend on the required temperature of the sintering / firing process required to complete the printing of the electrical component, and thus on the type of magnetic and dielectric materials. In embodiments in which microcoils are fabricated in the monolithic body 110, the particles of conductive material M2 used for printing may have characteristic sizes as small as sub-micrometer and nanometer scales. - a dielectric non-magnetic material resin comprising particles of a non-magnetic dielectric material M3 suspended in a curable polymer binder. The particles of the non-magnetic dielectric material typically comprise ceramic or glass-ceramic particles capable of withstanding the high sintering / firing temperatures required to sinter the printed magnetic and conductive materials M1 and M2. Also herein, the size of the particles may be selected according to the minimum feature size to be occupied by the dielectric material / bulk part of the magnetic field sensor, for example on the nanometer to sub-micrometer scale for the fabrication of a micro coil.

[0038] Regarding the above material selection, it should be noted that although it is generally possible to print the magnetic channel 129 with a magnetic metal material (e.g., electrically conductive), in various embodiments it may be preferable to print the magnetic channel with an electrically insulating ceramic ferrite. One reason for this is that the use of ceramic ferrite makes it easier to achieve a more compact arrangement of the magnetic channel 129 and the electric channel 128. This is because soft magnetic metal materials (non-ceramic ferrites) suitable for use in magnetic channel printing are generally electrically conductive. Thus, the magnetic channel 129 printed with non-ceramic ferrite should be spaced apart from the electric channel 128 at least in some places to prevent short circuits, which may affect the achievable miniaturization of the magnetic field sensor 100 and / or require its more complex design. Thus, in some embodiments, a ceramic ferrite material is preferably used for printing the magnetic channel 129.

[0039] Thus, utilizing the at least three curable resins described above, the 3D printing of the magnetic field sensor 100 may be performed layer by layer along the printing direction Z, for example, using a photopolymerization multi-surface 3D printing technique such as SLA or DLP. The printing direction Z is typically selected to be substantially perpendicular to the plane in which the turns of the conductive windings 124 of the coil 120 extend. To this end, as previously mentioned, the selection of the printing direction Z may be particularly important in the printing of the miniature magnetic field sensor 100, since the lateral feature resolution of the printing in the XY plane is lower than the "vertical" resolution of the layers obtained along the printing direction Z.

[0040] To this end, typically, the 3D printing of each layer of the sensor 100 is performed in a step-by-step manner. - deposition / printing and curing of a magnetic material M1 in the area of ​​the layer corresponding to the magnetic channel 129 of the coil 120; - deposition / printing and curing of a conductive material M2 in the areas of the layer corresponding to the electrical channels 128 of the coil 120, and - Depositing / printing and curing (not necessarily in that order) a non-electrically conductive (dielectric), non-magnetic material M3 to form the bulk portion of the monolithic body 110 of the sensor 100.

[0041] It should be noted that in some embodiments, 3D printing is performed such that the conductive material M3 of the coil 123 is completely embedded within the bulk portion of the body 110 of the electrical component to protect the conductive material M3 from degradation (e.g., oxidation) due to environmental conditions, particularly during the high temperature sintering 230 following layer-by-layer material deposition and curing.

[0042] Thus, successive printing and curing of successive layers in operation 220. results in one or more 3D structures of one or more sensors 100, each including electrical coils 220 of at least one longitudinally oriented coil and at least one transversely oriented coil according to the spatial distribution of material in the model of the sensor.

[0043] The method 200 further includes an operation 230 for sintering one or more 3D structures of the one or more electrical components 100 printed in operation 120. Sintering is generally performed at a temperature sufficient to burn or remove the polymer (binding polymer) from the one or more magnetic field sensors 100, as well as to sinter the ceramic or glass-ceramic materials, such as M3, and optionally M1, used in printing. To this end, after sintering, the material density of the printed ceramic and metallic materials (e.g., M1, M2, and M3) of the electrical components 100 approaches 100%. For example, in an embodiment in which the conductive material M2 mainly comprises silver, sintering may be performed at a temperature below the melting point of silver (e.g., at a temperature not exceeding 961° C., in which case the sintering temperature may preferably be limited to about 900 C to achieve a stable sintering process). In other embodiments in which the conductive material comprises a silver-palladium alloy, sintering may be performed at a temperature below the alloy melting point (the particular melting point depends on the ratio of silver to palladium in the alloy, and depending on the composition, the melting point is generally between the melting point of silver at 961° C. and the melting point of palladium at 1,555° C.). In another example, in embodiments in which the conductive material M2 comprises copper, sintering may be performed in an oxygen-deficient environment (to avoid oxidation of the copper) at a temperature below the copper melting point of 1,084° C.

[0044] In this regard, it is noted that in some embodiments of the present invention, the method 200 is performed for 3D printed electrical components 100 with embedded micro-coils having micrometer-scale feature dimensions. For example, the 3D printed layers may be printed at thicknesses in the range of about 5-15 μm (e.g., 9 μm) depending on the particular model design and 3D printing technique used. Thus, the pitch of the turns of the winding 124 may be on the order of twice the pitch of the 3D printed layers, but may be in the range of about 10 μm to 30 μm along the printing direction Z of the 3D printed layers (e.g., a typical pitch of the turns is about 18 μm).

[0045] Further, optionally (depending on the particular printing technique used), method 200 may include operation 240 for separating the printed electrical component 100 from the build / 3D printing platform (e.g., 201 shown in FIG. 1E). In general, depending on the type of build platform (e.g., whether it can withstand sintering 230), operation 240 may be performed before or after sintering 230. Indeed, in some embodiments of the present invention, particularly when tiny / delicate electrical components are printed that may be damaged by performing separation from the build platform before sintering, a suitable build platform that can withstand the temperatures of sintering 230 may be used, and separation of the electrical component from the platform may be performed after sintering to avoid / reduce damage to the sensor during the separation process.

[0046] In view of the above, the method 200 of the present invention provides a novel and inventive technique for the fabrication of electrical components 100 each including one or more coils 120 as described above. The method 200 is suitable for fabrication of micro-electrical components 100 (having feature dimensions as small as a few micrometers) that are operable as / in a magnetic field based positioning sensor, and are suitable for use in compact / narrow medical devices such as catheters. The method 200 may be used to simultaneously 3D print a large number of such micro-electrical components 100 built on the same platform in mass production (e.g., typically hundreds to thousands of electrical components 100 may be printed using, for example, liquid bath photopolymerization techniques). Each electrical component 100 may have, for example, a ceramic / glass-ceramic body 110 in which one or more highly sensitive open magnetic circuit coils 120 are embedded. The coils 120 may be fabricated with dimensions as small as, for example, about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm, and may have a resolution of, for example, about 0.1 to 1 μV / (Gauss * The device may provide high sensitivity / induced voltage in response to magnetic fields in the range of 50 Hz.

[0047] Reference is now made to Figures 3A-3I, which illustrate a 3D printed electrical component 100 including at least one coil 120 configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The electrical component 100 includes a magnetic channel 129 and a conductive channel 128 of the coil 120. The magnetic channel 129 and the conductive channel 128 are 3D printed with a magnetic material M1 and an electrically conductive material M2, respectively. The magnetic channel 129 includes the magnetic core 122 of the coil 120, and the conductive channel 128 includes an arrangement of a conductive winding 124 having multiple turns surrounding the magnetic core 122 (e.g., some of the turns are individually marked in the figures with reference numbers 124.1-124.6). The body / bulk portion 110 of the electrical component 100 is 3D printed with a non-magnetic, electrically insulating material M3. To this end, the electrical insulators 125 between the turns of the windings 124 are, in this example, 3D printed from the same non-magnetic, electrically insulating material M3 used to print the bulk portion of the body 110.

[0048] 3A-3I, FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the completed electrical component 100, FIG. 3B is a side view of the coil 120 in the electrical component 100 with the non-magnetic, electrically insulating material M3 not shown for clarity of illustration, FIG. 3C is a top view of the coil 120 in the electrical component 100 with the magnetic flux collectors 126 omitted / not shown for clarity, FIG. 3D is a top view of the coil 120 showing a pixel / voxel grid PG showing the distribution voxels of the 3D print as captured from the top side of the coil 120 without showing the electrical terminals 123, and FIG. 3E is a top view of the coil 120 with insulation 125 between the windings 124 across lateral sides B and D of the coil 120 (without the conductive vias 121 housed between the turns) taken along the cross-sectional plane CP shown in FIG. 3D. 3E, showing the winding 124 with insulator 125 between it across lateral side A (wherein conductive vias 121 between the turns of different layers are housed) and across lateral side C (wherein conductive vias 121 are housed), respectively; and FIGs. 3H and 3I are two respective side views showing some of the turns of the conductive winding 124 (without the insulator 125 being shown), taken in this example from lateral side A of the coil 120 where conductive vias are housed between the windings 124, and from lateral side C of the coil 120 where no conductive vias are housed. In these figures, where applicable, axes are shown showing a longitudinal direction Z (which is the direction of printing per layer of the electrical component 100) and lateral directions X and Y perpendicular thereto. Also, if applicable, 3D printed layers L1-L of electrical component 100 n , its lateral sides A, B, C, and D, as well as guidelines indicating the magnetic axis F of the internal coil 120 are shown in the figure.

[0049] For example, as shown in FIG. 3H, vias 121.5-6 are n-2 Each layer is printed on the upper and lower layers L n-1 and L n-3 The connection is between the 3D printed turns 124.5 and 124.6.

[0050] As mentioned above, preferably, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the functional features of the 3D printed electrical component(s) 100 are 3D printed with a minimum intra-layer feature size of at least 2 voxels.

[0051] 3A-3I shows a configuration of the windings 124 of the coil 120 that facilitates a compact arrangement of multiple winding turns while maintaining a minimum intra-layer feature size of at least two voxels in the winding turns 124 and the electrical insulation 125 between them. This configuration thus facilitates, on the one hand, reliable 3D printing of sensitive and compact coils in the electrical component, since misprinting of any individual voxel in the electrical channels 128 or insulation does not interfere with the proper operation of the coil, and, on the other hand, provides for stacking multiple winding turns 124 surrounding the magnetic core 122, thereby facilitating high sensitivity of the coil 120.

[0052] To achieve this, one or more of the following placement features are implemented in the 3D printed turns 124.1-124.n and the placement of the insulator 125 in the gaps between the turns. a. The conductive channel 128 (including the turns of the conductive winding 124) as well as the electrical insulators 125 between the turns of the winding 124 are each 3D printed with a minimum intra-layer feature size of at least 2 voxels, which contributes to the reliability of the electrical component 100 and / or its production by 3D printing as discussed above. b. The turns of the conductive winding 124, e.g., 124.1-124.n, or some of them, are connected to the printed layers L1-L n Therefore, printing turns entirely within a layer makes it easier to stack more turns, since the thickness TH of the printed layer / voxel is typically smaller (along the printing direction Z) than the lateral X,Y dimensions of the voxel. c. Multiple concentric turns are arranged in layers L1-L2 to facilitate printing of more turns surrounding the core 122. nFor example, in this example, turns 124.1, 124.3, and 124.5 are printed on at least some of the layers L. n The turns 124.2 and 124.4 are concentric turns printed entirely within the layer L. n-1 It has concentric turns printed all over inside. d. Multiple concentric turns are printed on successive layers to facilitate printing / lamination of more turns around core 122. For example, in this example, turns 124.4 and 124.5 are printed on successive layers L. n-1 and L n It has concentric turns printed all over inside. e. Concentric turns that are laid down (3D printed) in successive layers and concentrically adjacent (in embodiments where such turns are present) are laterally separated from one or more lateral sides of the concentric by one lateral voxel between them. This is to facilitate the printing / stacking of more turns surrounding the core 122. For example, in this example, turns 124.4 and 124.5 are laid down in successive layers L. n-1 and L n3D and 3E, the lateral spacing 124.4-5 between these turns (with respect to the X-axis and / or Y-axis) is only one voxel along lateral sides B, C, and D of the electrical component 100 (i.e., along the lateral side(s) not housing the conductive vias 121) and two voxels (e.g., at least two) along lateral side A (e.g., along the side housing the conductive vias), as shown in FIG. 3D and FIG. 3E. In this regard, it is noted that the phrase concentrically adjacent turns is used herein to indicate turns adjacent to one another relative to the radial direction of the concentric arrangement of the turns. In this regard, it is noted that the present invention facilitates a minimum lateral spacing of only one voxel between the turns (along the lateral side not housing the vias 121) while maintaining a desired minimum intralayer feature dimension of two voxels of the insulation 125 between the turns. This, in turn, facilitates compact packing of the winding turns and high sensitivity of small sized 3D printed coils. In this regard, note that lateral spacing 124.4-5 is printed a single pixel wide only from the concentric lateral sides (B, C, and D in this example) where there are no vias connecting concentrically adjacent turns to other / adjacent turns above or below them. Thus, in some embodiments, we also implement placement feature f., described below, to maximize / optimize the length along which concentrically adjacent turns may be spaced apart from one another by one voxel. f. The conductive vias 121 connecting each of the concentrically adjacent turns to the other / adjacent turn above or below them, or to other portions of the conductive channel 128, are preferably disposed from as few concentric lateral sides as applicable for the particular coil geometry and number of turns (e.g., preferably from only one side, if applicable), so that concentrically adjacent turns from one or more other sides may be laterally spaced apart from one another by one voxel (desirable for manufacturing reliability of electrical components) while maintaining a minimum intra-layer feature dimension of the insulator 125 between conductive features (e.g., turns and / or vias) in the same layer of at least two voxels. In this particular non-limiting example, the vias 121 are all disposed along one lateral side A of the concentric turns, such that the lateral spacing between concentrically adjacent turns along that side is two voxels in order to maintain a minimum intra-layer feature dimension of the insulator 125 between turns along that lateral side A (at least two voxels).

[0053] To this end, the combination of features a.-f. above, and especially features d., e., and f., facilitates compact packing of the conductive turns while maintaining a minimum intra-layer feature size of each functional feature of the coil desired for printing reliability. Figures 3F and 3G are cross sections SP1 across respective lateral sides A and B of the winding 124, with and without conductive vias 121, respectively. As shown in Figure 3G, the lateral spacing, such as 124.4-5, between concentrically adjacent turns in different layers, such as between 124.4-124.5, is only one voxel along the side that does not house vias, while the insulators between adjacent turns in the same layer, such as insulators 125.3-5 between 124.3 and 124.5 in the same layer, have a lateral width greater than the minimum intra-layer feature size, in this example having a width of 4 voxels along the side(s) that does not house vias. As shown in FIG. 3F, the lateral spacing, such as 124.4-5, between concentrically adjacent turns in different layers, such as between 124.4 and 124.5, is two or more voxels (in this example, two) along the side on which the vias are housed (e.g., in this case side A), so that the insulation between adjacent turns in the same layer along these sides, such as insulation 125.3-5 between 124.3 and 124.5 along side A, also has a lateral width that is greater than the minimum intra-layer feature dimension, in this example having a width of 6 voxels along the side(s) on which the vias are housed. Otherwise, for example, if lateral gap 124.4-124.5 were made one voxel wide along sides B-D, then the minimum intralayer feature dimension of the insulator at the gap / insulator such as 125.6-V between adjacent turns such as 124.4 and 124.6 in the same layer would be only one voxel (e.g., because of the presence of a via therebetween, e.g., a via shown as V in the figure connecting adjacent turns above and below), thereby not meeting the minimum intralayer feature dimension condition of insulator 125.Thus, in some embodiments of the present invention, conductive vias 121 connecting adjacent turns above or below each other are arranged along as few lateral sides as possible, thereby resulting in a lateral gap between concentrically adjacent turns along these sides of at least two voxels, thereby allowing for a lateral gap between concentrically adjacent turns along other lateral sides of only one voxel, on the one hand resulting in a compact arrangement of the turns and, on the other hand, resulting in an electrical insulator with a minimum intra-layer feature size of at least two voxels, which facilitates reliability in the fabrication of the coil.

[0054] In this example, the electrical component 100 is formed by forming a plurality of printed layers L1, L2 to L n Each of the turns of the conductive winding 124, e.g., 124.1-124.6, is printed on a printed layer L1-L2. n For example, as shown in FIGS. 3E-3I, turns 124.1, 124.3, and 124.5 are planarly disposed / 3D printed in one of layers L. n The turns 124.2 and 124.4 are 3D printed planarly in the layer L. n-1 For this purpose, in this example, the turns are printed in a number of printing layers. The magnetic core is printed in a number of successive printing layers L1 to L n and is printed so as to penetrate through and be surrounded by the turns within that layer. Electrical component 100, i.e., its coil 120, includes electrical insulation 125 that is 3D printed between the turns of conductive winding 124. In this non-limiting example, electrical insulation 125 is 3D printed from the same bulk material M3 that is also used to print body 110 of electrical component 100.

[0055] As previously mentioned, in this example, the turns (e.g., 124.1-124.6) of the conductive winding 124 and the insulating material 125 between the turns (as well as the magnetic channel 129) are 3D printed with a minimum intra-layer feature size of at least 2 voxels of 3D printing. To obtain a highly sensitive coil, in this example, the winding 124 includes concentrically adjacent turns that are 3D printed in successive layers of 3D printing, with a lateral spacing of one voxel between the concentrically adjacent turns (along at least some of the concentric lateral sides). As previously mentioned, the lateral spacing of one voxel between the concentrically adjacent turns is from one or more lateral sides of the adjacent concentric turns (from side B to D in this example), and the conductive vias are 3D printed on at least one other lateral side of the concentric turns (from side A in this example). Along at least one other lateral side on which vias 121 are printed / contained (side A in this example), the lateral spacing between concentrically adjacent turns is at least 2 voxels to maintain a minimum intralayer feature dimension of the insulator of at least 2 voxels.

[0056] 4A and 4B, which show an electrical component 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention, the electrical component 100 is / includes a coil 120 having a flattened shape with respect to the magnetic axis F, or in other words a coil 120 having a low / small aspect ratio between its length L along the magnetic axis F and its width W transverse to the magnetic axis F. For brevity, a coil having such dimensions is referred to herein as a flattened coil.

[0057] Similar to the electrical component 100 described above with reference to Figures 1A-1C, in this embodiment of Figures 4A and 4B, the electrical component 100 includes a body / bulk portion 110 3D printed with a non-magnetic, electrically insulating material M3, a magnetic channel 129 3D printed in the body 110 with a magnetic material M1 and including a magnetic core 122 of a coil 120, and a conductive channel 128 3D printed in the body 110 with an electrically conductive material M2 and including a conductive winding 124 having multiple turns surrounding the core 122. The conductive channel 128 is terminated at both ends by electrical contacts / terminals 123 (not specifically shown in Figure 4B). Figure 4A is a perspective view of the electrical component 100, and Figure 4B is a side view of the coil electrical component 100 without the bulk material of the body 110 being shown.

[0058] As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the required dimensions of the electrical component 100 having the coil 120 therein are such that the electrical component 100, and / or the coil 120 therein, are flattened with respect to the direction of the magnetic axis F. In this regard, flattened coils, or other coils having such flattened dimensions, are often required for position sensing of medical devices, and are particularly used / attached to elongated, narrow medical devices such as catheters, whose position is often sensed by measuring the surrounding magnetic field (particularly used to sense the vector component of the magnetic field that is perpendicular to the elongated body of the medical device / instrument) - see, e.g., FIG. 9 and its related discussion below.

[0059] However, one difficulty in 3D printing such flat coils with sufficient sensitivity for applications such as position sensing is the limited number of turns of winding 124 that can be 3D printed to be stacked along the relatively short length L of coil 120 (i.e., along the dimension parallel to the magnetic axis F of the coil). Furthermore, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, due to their geometry, flat coils with magnetic cores have a low apparent permeability (also known as effective permeability) that can be <2, despite the high permeability of the magnetic material.

[0060] Some aspects of the present invention overcome this difficulty and provide for 3D printing a flat coil 120 with sufficient sensitivity. This is accomplished by 3D printing a magnetic channel 129 to include at least a pair of magnetic flux collectors 126 having respective flux collecting faces 126F and 126B that are perpendicular to the magnetic axis F of the coil 120. The magnetic channel 129 is 3D printed to have a curved / folded path with bends / folds 127 defining between them one or more portions of the magnetic core 122 of the magnetic channel 129, the magnetic core 122 extending along the width dimension W of the coil 120 (i.e., transverse to the magnetic axis F of the coil). The magnetic channel is thereby adapted to collect magnetic flux propagating from the direction of the magnetic axis F via the faces 126F and 126B and direct the magnetic flux via the bends 127 to propagate along the core section(s) 122 that extend along the greater width dimension W of the flat coil 120. The winding 124 of the conductive channel 128 of the flat coil 120 then includes a number of turns 124.1-124.m arranged to surround the core section(s) 122 extending along the longer width dimension W of the flat coil 120. Thus, the number of turns 124.1-124.m that can be arranged in this manner is greater than the number of turns that can be arranged if the core 122 extends in a direction along the magnetic axis F (i.e. along the shorter longitudinal dimension L of the coil 120), thus improving the sensitivity of the coil to magnetic field components from the magnetic axis F, despite the flat shape of the coil 120 in this embodiment.

[0061] In this regard, it is noted that according to some embodiments, the magnetic flux collecting faces / surfaces 126F and 126B of the coil 120 facing the magnetic axis F are made wider (e.g., substantially larger area) than the characteristic width (e.g., cross-sectional area) of the magnetic channel 129 between them. Even more specifically, the area of ​​the faces / surfaces 126F and 126B of the magnetic flux collectors is preferably made substantially larger than the characteristic cross-sectional area of ​​the magnetic core section(s) 122 facing in a different, e.g., perpendicular, direction to the magnetic axis F. This is because the magnetic flux collector 126 collects much more magnetic field flux from the direction of the magnetic axis F than the amount of magnetic flux collected in the magnetic channel 129 from other directions, and thus a flat coil with a bent / folded magnetic channel 129 is sensitive to magnetic field components oriented along the magnetic axis F, while being negligibly insensitive to magnetic field components from other directions. Optionally, the magnetic flux collector 126 and / or other sections of the magnetic channel also have a tapered shape toward the magnetic core section 122 (e.g., to facilitate efficient channeling of magnetic flux from the relatively wide magnetic flux collecting faces / surfaces 126F and 126B to the narrower magnetic core 122).

[0062] As previously mentioned, in some embodiments, the 3D printing techniques used to fabricate electrical component 100 provide a printed layer with a thickness that is substantially smaller than the lateral width of the printed voxels (in other words, the layer resolution is substantially higher than the resolution of the in-layer pixels that can be 3D printed). For example, in a specific, non-limiting example, the thickness of the printed layer is about 8-10 μm (along the Z direction, typically 9 μm), while the lateral size / width of the printed voxels in the layer is about 12-25 μm. Thus, in such an embodiment, 3D printing turns 124.1-124.m of winding 124 in a planar orientation in the printed layer facilitates printing turns with thinner turns (e.g., layer thickness of about 9-10 μm) and smaller pitch than turn thickness and pitch achievable if the turns are printed in other / transverse orientations relative to the printed layer (e.g., if the turns are printed perpendicular to and across the layer, resulting in a turn thickness of about the lateral voxel width, e.g., 12-25 μm). Optionally, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B , in some embodiments, the printing direction Z (the direction in which 3D printing is performed layer by layer) of the flat coil 120 and / or the electrical component 100 in which it may be included is such that the turns 124.1-124.m are aligned along the length of the printed layers L1-L2. n (e.g., the printing direction Z of the flat coil 120 may be set parallel to the longer width dimension W of the flat coil 120 as shown in the figure). This makes it easier to print a stack of a larger number of turns 124.1-124.m surrounding the core section 122 (having a higher density of turns), thus further improving the sensitivity of the coil 120.

[0063] It should be noted that other features of the flat coil 120 illustrated in Figures 4A and 4B, but not specifically described with respect to this example, may have similar characteristics as discussed with reference to the coil examples of Figures 1A-1C and / or 3A-3I. For example, optionally, in some non-limiting embodiments, the functional features of the flat coil 120, including the conductive and magnetic channels 128 and 129 and / or different portions thereof, as well as the insulation 125 between conductive elements such as turns 124.1-124.m, may be 3D printed with a minimum intralayer feature size of at least 2 voxels of 3D printing to facilitate reliable 3D printing of the coil 120 that is robust against misprinting of individual voxels. This may be similar to that described above with reference to Figures 1A-1C. Additionally, the winding turns 124.1-124.m may optionally include multiple concentric turns (not specifically shown) to further increase the number of turns surrounding the magnetic core 122 and thus improve the sensitivity of the coil. In such embodiments, the gaps / insulation 125 between the concentric turns may optionally be configured similarly as described with reference to the embodiment of Figures 3A-3I.

[0064] 4A and 4B illustrate one optional configuration of a 3D printed flat coil 120 (and / or electrical component 100 including same), in which the magnetic channel 129 of the flat coil 120 is curved / folded 127, such that one or more sections of the magnetic channel 129 extend substantially along the longer width dimension W of the flat coil (perpendicular to the magnetic axis F) in the printing direction, function as the magnetic core 122 of the coil, and are surrounded by the conductive turns of the winding 124. FIGS. 5A-8B provide self-explanatory depictions of several other non-limiting examples of coil 120 configurations in which the magnetic channel 129 is curved / folded to facilitate configuration of the winding to have multiple magnetic core sections 122 to facilitate placement of the winding turns and / or to increase the number of turns that improves coil sensitivity. In Figures 5A-8B, like reference numerals are used to indicate elements / sections of similar function to the coils described above with reference to Figures 1A-1C and 3A-4B.

[0065] 5A-5D illustrate, in a self-explanatory manner, perspective, side, front and rear views, respectively, of an electrical component including a coil 120, which in this example may be 3D printed according to an embodiment of the invention. In this example, a magnetic channel 129 is printed / curved / folded several times 127 between magnetic flux collectors 126 such that the magnetic channel 129 has a spiral shape with a number of magnetic core sections 122 extending substantially along the printing direction Z. The number of core sections 122 are surrounded by turns of a conductive winding 124 of the conductive channel that are printed planarly in the 3D printing layer, with a relatively small pitch / distance between the turns. The turns of the conductive winding 124 are typically spaced apart from each other by electrical insulation printed in the layer between them (e.g., the electrical insulation may be printed between the turns together with the bulk material M3). As shown, the magnetic channel 129 is formed in a spiral shape such that the multiple magnetic core sections 122 traverse the conductive windings 124 to direct the magnetic flux flowing between the magnetic flux collectors 126 along the magnetic channel 129 to pass through the conductive windings 124 several times, thereby improving the sensitivity of the coil 120. In this non-limiting example, the magnetic channel 129 is folded such that two magnetic core sections 122 traverse the windings 124, however, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the coil 120 may be printed with other configurations of generally spiral channels and may be formed with any suitable number of folds 127 to result in any suitable number of magnetic core sections passing through the windings that provide an optimized sensitivity for the particular sensing application being used.

[0066] 6A and 6C illustrate, in a self-explanatory manner, side and front views, respectively, of a coil 120 having multiple helical magnetic sub-channels 129.1 and 129.2 that may be printed in an electrical component 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6C is a perspective view of a helical magnetic sub-channel, in this example, where between the magnetic flux collectors 126, the magnetic channel 129 is divided into multiple magnetic sub-channels (two in this example, 129.1 and 129.2), each curved / folded several times in the form of a helix (or otherwise helical shape) 127, so that the magnetic channel 129 has multiple helical shapes (in this example, a double helix, with one helix formed by each of the magnetic sub-channels 129.1 and 129.2). The magnetic subchannels 129.1 and 129.2 define a plurality of magnetic core sections 122 that extend substantially along the print direction Z and are printed with bends / folds 127 to be surrounded by the turns of the conductive winding 124 of the coil 120. In this non-limiting example, the conductive winding 124 includes several winding sets 128A-128D, each including a plurality of conductive turns that surround a different one or more of the magnetic core sections 122. To this end, in various embodiments, the electrical channel 128 between the electrical contacts / terminals (not specifically shown in these figures) may be 3D printed as a single conductive path passing between a pair of electrical contacts / terminals and molded to form winding sets 128A-128D along the single conductive path, or the electrical channel 128 between the electrical contacts may be printed to be divided into several (e.g., four) electrical sub-channels (e.g., which may be connected in parallel to each other near the electrical contacts), each forming multiple windings / turns of one or more winding sets 128A-128D.

[0067] As previously mentioned, in certain embodiments of the invention, the magnetic channel 129 has a tapered shape / structure in the region between the flux collecting surface / face of the magnetic flux collector 126 and the magnetic core section 122. The example shown in Figures 6A-6C illustrates such a tapered shape of the magnetic channel 129, where the cross-sectional area / width of the magnetic channel 129 narrows along the direction proceeding from the magnetic flux collector 126 towards the core section 122 of the channel. In this non-limiting example, the tapering of the magnetic channel 129 is done gradually in several places, including the tapering of the magnetic flux collector 126 as shown in the tapered region 129A marked in Figure 3A, as well as the tapering of the section 129B of the magnetic channel 129 that directs the magnetic flux between the magnetic flux collectors 126 to the core section 122 as shown in Figure 6C. The tapering improves coupling of the external magnetic flux collected and propagated by the magnetic flux collectors 126 to flow through the magnetic channel 126, thereby improving the sensitivity of the coil 120. It should be noted that the tapering of the magnetic channel toward the magnetic core as illustrated in this embodiment in regions 129A and / or 129B may also be implemented in other embodiments of the invention, such as in coil 120 having a configuration as illustrated in Figures 1A-1C, 3A-5D described above, and / or Figures 7A-8B described below.

[0068] 7A and 7B illustrate, in a self-explanatory manner, yet another example of an electrical component including a coil 120, which may be 3D according to the invention. FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the coil 120, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the coil 120 taken along the plane CP shown in FIG. 7A. In this example, the magnetic channel 129 extends in a serpentine shape / path between the magnetic flux collectors 126. The magnetic flux collectors 126 are not shown in FIG. 7B, but instead one of the regions 126X of the magnetic channel 129 to which one of the magnetic flux collectors 126 is coupled is shown. As in the example of FIGS. 4A and 4B, in this example too the magnetic channel 129 is printed with bends / folds 127 such that its core section(s) 122 (in this case multiple core sections) extend substantially along the printing direction Z. Thus, the magnetic core section 122 is surrounded by turns of the conductive winding 124, which may include multiple conductive turns surrounding one or more different ones of the magnetic core sections 122. To this end, in various embodiments, the electrical channel 128 may be printed as a single conductive path passing between two electrical contacts / terminals (not specifically shown) at either end thereof and shaped to form winding sets 128A-128D along the single conductive path, or the electrical channel 128 between the electrical contacts may be printed to split into several (e.g., four) electrical sub-channels that may be electrically connected to each other (e.g., in series to increase the output voltage of the coil) to form winding sets 128A-128D.

[0069] 5A-7B, 3D printed coils 120 with serpentine and / or spiral magnetic channels 129 may be advantageous in some cases with respect to their sensitivity. This is due to the shape of their magnetic channels, which facilitates packing a longer total core section 122, and therefore a greater number of turns of winding 124, surrounding them, into an electrical component / coil 120 with compact dimensions. In particular, coils 120 with serpentine and / or spiral magnetic channels 129 are suitable for forming flat coils similar to those shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 4A and 4B, and the features of the flat coils 120 illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B may also be implemented in the embodiment of FIGS. 5A-7B. Additionally, winding 124 and / or winding sets 128A-128D in the embodiments of Figures 5A-7B may, in some embodiments, be implemented in a concentric winding configuration including multiple concentrically arranged stacks of turns, similar to winding 124 shown in Figures 3A-3I, to provide improved sensitivity of coil 120. In this regard, in some implementations, the lateral gap between the concentrically arranged turns may be only one voxel in a manner similar to that described with reference to Figures 3A-3I to facilitate more compact packing of a greater number of turns within a compact dimension, thus further improving the sensitivity of the coil.

[0070] 8A and 8B, a 3D printed coil 120 (e.g., an electrical component including the same) is shown according to one embodiment of the present invention, where the magnetic channel 129 is curved / folded to follow / form a coiled path / shape (e.g., wrapped around the conductive winding 124 of the coil 120). FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the coil 120 including the magnetic flux collector 126, and FIG. 5B is another perspective view of the coil 120 without the magnetic flux collector 126, such that the internal configuration of the coiled magnetic core 122 and its wrapping around the conductive winding 124 are visible in the figure. Similar reference numbers are used in FIGS. 8A and 8B to indicate elements / sections / parts having similar functions as the coils of the other embodiments of the present invention described above.

[0071] To this end, in this example, the magnetic flux collected by one of the magnetic flux collectors 126 is guided by the magnetic channel 129, typically multiple times, around the conductive turns of the winding 124. For example, in this non-limiting example, the magnetic flux collected from the top magnetic flux collecting surface 126U shown in FIG. 8A is guided through the magnetic channel 129 from the region 126X of the magnetic channel 129 (which is the connection between the magnetic flux collector and the coiled magnetic core 122), and passes sequentially through the coiled sections C1-C8 of the core 122, before exiting the coil 120 through the bottom magnetic flux collecting surface 126D. The direction of magnetic flux flow through the coiled core sections C1-C8 of the magnetic core 122L is shown in a self-explanatory manner. To this end, the coiled core sections C1-C8 are wound / wound around (e.g., intertwined with) the turns of the conductive winding 124 in a manner that, in response to magnetic flux propagating through the coiled core sections C1-C8, induces a voltage / current in the conductive winding 124, thereby inducing a voltage at the electrical contact / terminal 123 of the electrical channel 128.

[0072] It should be noted that the coiled core configuration shown in this embodiment is suitable for making flat coils, as described above, whereby the printing direction Z does not necessarily have to be transverse to the magnetic axis F of the coil 120. This is because the coiled core configuration shown in this example facilitates longer core sections 122 being wound around the windings even when the distance between the magnetic flux collectors 126 is small. In fact, as illustrated in the optional configuration of the coil 120 shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the printing direction Z is substantially parallel to the magnetic axis F. It should be noted that although the winding turns are preferably 3D printed in a planar orientation within the print layer as illustrated in these figures, in other embodiments the winding turns may be 3D printed in other orientations.

[0073] Alternatively or additionally, although not shown in the figures, a coil 120 having a similar coiled configuration of the magnetic core 122 may be fabricated with its magnetic axis F perpendicular to the printing direction Z, thus optionally implementing a flat coil configuration similar to that described above with reference to Figures 4A and 4B, but with a coiled configuration of the core 122. For example, in a non-limiting example, such a flat coil configuration can be obtained by arranging the magnetic flux collector 126 so as to be located from the lateral sides A and C of the coil 120 marked in Figure 8B, or alternatively, 3D printing the turns of the conductive winding 124 with an orientation perpendicular to the magnetic axis (e.g., parallel to the printing direction, such that the turns or some of the turns are printed over multiple printed layers).

[0074] It should be noted that in this non-limiting example, the conductive winding includes multiple turns 124S stacked along the printing direction Z in multiple printed layers to further improve the sensitivity of the coil 120 (e.g., as previously described, in some embodiments, printing the turns in such an orientation facilitates relatively small gaps between the stacked turns, since the thickness of the layers is substantially smaller than the lateral width of the printed voxels). Optionally, in at least some of the printed layers, the multiple turns 124C are printed concentrically to further improve the sensitivity of the coil 120. To this end, in some implementations, the turns of the winding 124 are printed with similar configurations and insulation between the turns, as shown in the examples of FIGS. 3A-3I, thereby resulting in a compact packing of the multiple conductive turns surrounding the core sections C1-C8, and thus a highly sensitive coil 120 with compact dimensions.

[0075] To this end, the figures above show various non-limiting examples of 3D printed electrical components 100 and / or 3D printed coils 120. Preferably, in some implementations, the turns of the coil's conductive winding 124 are 3D printed planarly within the printed layers to utilize a smaller pitch between the printed layers that is smaller than the lateral dimension of the printed voxels, to pack / print a larger number of conductive winding turns within the coil, and to facilitate high sensitivity of the coil (i.e., to facilitate high induced voltage in response to magnetic field sensing). Additionally or alternatively, in some implementations, the functional features of the coil / electrical component are 3D printed with a minimum intra-layer feature size of at least 2 voxels to provide reliable 3D printing of the coil / electrical component. Additionally, in some implementations, the concentric winding turns are compactly packed with a lateral gap of only 1 voxel between concentrically adjacent turns. The present invention also provides a technique for fabricating a sensitive flat coil with a low / small aspect ratio between its length along the magnetic axis and its width across the magnetic axis. This may be achieved by 3D printing a pair of magnetic flux collectors 126 at either end of the magnetic channel 129 for collecting magnetic flux propagating therefrom facing the magnetic axis F, and further printing the magnetic channel 129 with turn(s) / fold(s) / curve(s) 127 between the pair of magnetic flux collectors such that one or more core sections 122 extend along the printing direction Z and pass through the conductive winding 124. Alternatively or additionally, sensitive flat coils may also be fabricated by utilizing a coiled core configuration as described above. Although the above features of the present invention are sometimes illustrated in different figures for clarity, it should be understood that various combinations of these features, which may not be specifically shown in the figures, may be implemented in coils / electrical components fabricated according to the present invention without departing from the present invention.

[0076] Furthermore, it should be noted that some optional characteristics of the 3D printed coils shown only in some of the embodiments described above may be readily implemented in other configurations of the coil 120 of the present invention without departing from the present invention. For example, as one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, the following optional characteristics / features may be implemented in various embodiments of the present invention, including but not limited to those shown above: - dividing the magnetic channel 129 between magnetic flux collectors to form multiple magnetic sub-channels, as shown in Figures 6A-6C; - dividing the electrical channel to form multiple conductive paths and, optionally, multiple winding sets, as shown in Figures 3A-3I and 6A-6C; and - Forming a conductive winding having both stacking of turns in multiple layers and forming concentric turns in each layer or at least some of the layers, as shown in Figures 3A-3I and 8A-8B.

[0077] Referring back to method 200, as optionally shown in FIG. 2, in some embodiments, method 200 further includes operation 250 for creating / attaching surface mount contacts to the 3D printed electrical component 100 or coil(s) 120 to facilitate installation on a circuit board via surface mount technology (SMT).

[0078] According to some embodiments of the invention, surface mounts suitable for SMT are 3D printed together with the 3D printing of the component 100. In such embodiments, materials such as silver-palladium alloys are typically used for the electrical contacts of SMT mounting, since tin and nickel-tin, the traditional materials typically used for electrical contacts of SMT mounting, are not suitable for the sintering process of the 3D printing technique of the invention (the melting point of tin is too low and nickel-tin oxidizes during the process). To this end, in some embodiments, the 3D printing operation 220 of the method 200 further includes 3D printing of external / SMT contacts at the respective ends of the coil 120 or electrical contacts / terminals 123 of the electrical component 100. The 3D printed SMT contacts may be fabricated, for example, from a silver-palladium alloy (Ag-Pd) and formed with a thickness of about 9 μm or more, resulting in external Ag-Pd SMT electrodes for the 3D printed electrical component 100.

[0079] Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments of the present invention, the SMT contacts / mounts, or some of them, comprising, for example, chemically / electrochemically deposited tin-plated copper or tin-plated nickel, are fabricated / attached to the 3D printed electrical component 100 / coil 120 and bonded to their electrical contacts 123 only after 3D printing and sintering of the component 100 / coil 120.

[0080] Typically, one or more, or all, of the coils 120 of the sensor 100 are designed with an open magnetic circuit configuration of their magnetic channels 129 / cores 122, which is suitable for accurate sensing of magnetic fields, and in particular for magnetic field-based position sensing in medical applications / devices such as catheters. In this context, the phrase open magnetic circuit configuration should be understood herein as relating to a coil structure having open-ended magnetic channels that provide substantially no shielding or shunting of external magnetic fields allowing them to pass through the magnetic core of the coil.

[0081] As mentioned above, the 3D printed magnetic field sensor 100 of the present invention described above may be suitable for use as a position and / or force sensor in medical instruments / devices requiring such a sensor, particularly when printed with a coil 120 having an open magnetic circuit configuration.

[0082] Referring now to FIG. 9, a side view of a medical device 1000 (e.g., a probe / catheter) according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which a position sensor 300 includes a 3D printed coil 120 (and / or an inventive electrical component(s) 100 including the same) configured in accordance with the present invention.

[0083] The medical instrument 1000 includes a housing H having a magnetic field-based position sensor 300 disposed therein. The medical instrument housing H includes a main section M and a tip section T coupled to a distal end of the main section M via a banding coupler J (e.g., a spring or joint). The banding coupler J is configured such that the orientation of the tip section T can be bent relative to a longitudinal axis LX of the housing H under an applied force FC (which can be applied, for example, when the tip section T of the medical instrument 1000 is in contact with a patient's body tissue) with a banding degree corresponding to the magnitude and direction of the applied force FC.

[0084] In this particular non-limiting example, the position sensor 300, location and orientation sensor 320, and force sensor 310 are implemented by five coils 120.1-120.5, which are one or more of the operable coils constructed in accordance with the present invention.

[0085] The location and orientation sensor 320 is located external to the instrument 1000 and is responsive to one or more magnetic field sources MF that generate magnetic fields whose measurements indicate the spatial location and orientation of the medical instrument 1000. LTo measure the magnetic field generated by the coils 120.4, 120.5, and at least one of the coils 120.1-120.3, three of the coils are utilized, including the coils 120.4, 120.5, and at least one of the coils 120.1-120.3. The coils 120.4, 120.5, and at least one of the coils 120.1-120.3 are arranged such that their magnetic axes span three dimensions, thereby providing a magnetic field source MF L This facilitates determining the 3D location and / or orientation of the medical device 1000 based on measurements of the magnetic field from the medical device.

[0086] The force sensor 310 utilizes three coils 120.1-120.3 to determine the relative orientation between the tip segment T and the main segment M of the housing H. As previously described, the relative orientation between the tip segment T and the main segment M is indicative of the force FC that the tip segment T exerts, for example, on the tissue of a patient. To this end, the force sensor 310 also utilizes a magnetic field source MF which generates a reference magnetic field whose measurement by the coils 120.1-120.3 is indicative of the relative orientation between the tip segment T and the main segment M. O The coils 120.1 to 120.3 of the orientation sensor 310 and the magnetic field source MF O are arranged in the housing H on different sides of the joint J, so that the magnetic field source MF O The measurement of the magnetic field from the magnetic field source MF indicates the relative orientation between the tip section T and the main section M. For example, typically, O are arranged in the tip section T, and the coils 120.1-120.3 of the orientation sensor 310 are arranged in the main section M with their magnetic axes parallel to the longitudinal axis LX of the housing H (although the opposite arrangement may also be applicable). To this end, the coils 120.1-120.3 are generally arranged such that their magnetic axes are collinear with one another (but not coplanar to facilitate measuring the relative orientation with respect to two angles, e.g. indicative of the pitch and yaw of the tip section T with respect to the main section).

[0087] Specific details of the techniques for magnetic field-based position sensing used in the present embodiment to sense the location and orientation of the medical device 1000 and / or the forces applied thereby to the patient's tissue are generally known in the art and need not be further discussed in greater detail herein. For example, U.S. Patent No. 8,535,308 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 015693, both of which are assigned to the assignee of the present application, disclose exemplary configurations of catheters that utilize sensing circuits having several coils to sense the location and orientation of the catheter body and the forces applied thereby to the interface with tissue.

[0088] In this non-limiting example, the magnetic field based position sensor 300 of the medical device 1000 is implemented with one or more of the coils 120.1-120.5 that are 3D printed open magnetic circuit coils configured in accordance with the present invention and / or fabricated by the 3D printing methods described above. In this example, the housing has a narrow width / diameter of approximately 2 mm, and thus the coils 120.1-120.5 are compact coils that typically extend no more than 0.5 mm radially relative to the longitudinal axis of the medical instrument.

[0089] In this non-limiting example, the three coils 120.1, 120.2, and 120.3 are 3D printed coils according to the invention, which may be implemented as integral parts of a single electrical component 100 3D printed using the method 200 of the invention described above. The electrical component 100 in this example has a cylindrical / donut structure with a central hole along its axis of symmetry, and is mounted within the housing H of the medical device with its axis of symmetry parallel to the longitudinal axis LX (e.g., to allow various connections / fluid lines of the medical device to pass through the hole). The two coils 120.4 and 120.5 are also 3D printed coils according to the invention, which have SMT mountings fabricated / bonded to them according to optional method operation 250 described above. These coils 120.4 and 120.5 are provided on a flexible circuit board CB that is folded / wound into a cylindrical shape within the housing H of the medical device 1000, so that their magnetic axes are not substantially parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis LX of the housing H (typically perpendicular). The two coils 120.4 and 120.5 are similar coils, preferably having a flattened shape, and may optionally be configured according to any one of the embodiments of Figures 4A-8B, which facilitates 3D printing of flat coils with sufficient sensitivity for use in medical device position sensors. The conductive windings of any one or more of the coils 120.1-120.5 may also be implemented / configured according to the techniques described above with reference to Figures 3A-3I, resulting in tightly packed winding turns, thereby improving the sensitivity of the coils with compact dimensions. Also, preferably, as described above with reference to Figures 1A-1C, the coils are fabricated such that their functional features are printed at least with the minimum intra-layer feature size of a 3D printing voxel.

[0090] While in this non-limiting example, all of the coils 120.1-120.5 used in position sensor 300 are 3D printed coils of the present invention, it should be understood that in other embodiments of the present invention, some of the coils 120.1-120.5 need not necessarily be 3D printed coils without departing from the present invention, for example, coils 120.4 and 120.5 may be conventional wire wound coils. Additionally, while in this non-limiting example, coils 120.1-120.3 are printed within a single electrical component 100, and coils 120.4 and 120.5 are individual 3D printed coils provided on a circuit board (in this non-limiting example, with SMT technology), in other embodiments of the present invention, any number or combination of coils 120.1-120.5 may be 3D printed as individual coils and / or as part of one or more electrical components that include 3D printed coils in accordance with the present invention. For example, in some implementations, all five coils may be part of a single 3D printed electrical component in accordance with the present invention.

[0091] Advantageously, 3D printing of the electrical components and coils of the present invention facilitates reliable, accurate and cost-effective fabrication of open magnetic circuit coils within the tight dimensions of miniature medical devices, while facilitating sufficient sensitivity of the coils to function as precise position sensors in such medical devices. EXAMPLES

[0092] Example 1. A method for fabricating an electrical component including a coil device. The method includes: 3D printing a magnetic material to form a magnetic channel including a magnetic core of a coil device; - 3D printing a conductive material to form a conductive channel, such that the conductive channel includes a conductive winding of a coil device having turns surrounding a magnetic core; 3D printing a non-magnetic electrically insulating material to form an electrical insulator between turns of a conductive winding of a coil device; The functional structures of the electrical components, including the turns of the conductive windings of the coil device and the electrical insulation between the turns, are each printed with a minimum intra-layer feature size of at least two voxels for 3D printing, thereby facilitating robust and reliable 3D printing of the electrical components and mitigating voxel misprints. Example 2. The method of Example 1, wherein the 3D printing includes printing multiple printing layers successively along a printing direction, the turns of the conductive winding are 3D printed planarly within the printing layers and 3D printed within the multiple printing layers, and the magnetic core penetrates the multiple successive printing layers. Example 3. The method of example 2, wherein at least some of the turns are 3D printed in successive layers. Example 4. The method comprises: - 3D printing an electrical insulator between adjacent turns having a minimum intra-layer feature dimension of the electrical insulator of at least 2 voxels of 3D printed electrical insulating material; 3D printing conductive vias for electrically connecting turns in different layers. Example 5. The method of Example 4, wherein the turns of the conductive winding include adjacent concentric turns 3D printed on successive ones of the 3D printed layers, with a lateral spacing of one voxel between the turns (i.e., between adjacent concentric turns). Example 6. The method of example 5, wherein the lateral spacing of a single voxel between adjacent concentric turns is disposed against one or more lateral sides of the adjacent concentric turns, and the conductive vias are disposed along at least one other lateral side of the concentric turns, and the lateral spacing between adjacent concentric turns along the at least one other lateral side is at least two voxels to maintain electrical insulation with a minimum intralayer feature dimension of at least two voxels along the at least one other lateral side. Example 7. The method of Example 6, wherein the turns include adjacent concentric turns 3D printed within a same layer and at least one adjacent concentric turn printed in a successive layer above or below the same layer, and the lateral spacing between adjacent concentric turns within the same layer is 4 voxels along one or more lateral sides and 6 voxels along at least one other lateral side, thereby facilitating a minimum intralayer feature dimension of electrical insulation between each of the adjacent concentric turns and the at least one adjacent concentric turn. Example 8. The method of any one of Examples 1-7, wherein the magnetic channel is configured in an open magnetic circuit configuration, and 3D printing the magnetic channel includes printing a pair of magnetic flux collectors on either end of a magnetic core, the pair of magnetic flux collectors having respective magnetic flux collecting surfaces therebetween that define a magnetic axis of the coil. Example 9. The method of example 8, wherein the flux collecting surface of the flux collector is larger than the magnetic core. Example 10. The method of example 8 or 9, wherein the magnetic flux collectors are tapered with their narrower surfaces connected to each end of the magnetic core and their wider surfaces functioning as magnetic flux collecting surfaces. Example 11. The method according to any one of Examples 1 to 10, wherein the magnetic core has a rod-like shape. Example 12. The coil is a flat coil with a small / low aspect ratio between its length along its magnetic axis and its width across its magnetic axis; The method of any one of Examples 8-11, wherein the magnetic channel is 3D printed along a curved (e.g., folded) path such that one or more portions of the magnetic core extend along a transverse direction relative to the magnetic axis of the coil and the length (e.g., its overall length) of one or more sections is greater than the distance between a pair of magnetic flux collectors, and the arrangement of the conductive winding of the coil includes multiple turns surrounding one or more sections of the magnetic core, thereby enabling the provision of multiple turns of the conductive winding along the length of one or more sections of the magnetic core and resulting in improved sensitivity of the coil. Example 13. The method of example 12, wherein the curved path of the magnetic channel is such that the magnetic core has a straight rod shape extending along a transverse direction to the magnetic axis. Example 14. The method of example 12, wherein the curved path of the magnetic channel is such that the magnetic core has a spiral or serpentine shape, and the turns of the conductive winding surround one or more of the sections of the spiral or serpentine shaped magnetic core. Example 15. The method of example 12, wherein the curved path of the magnetic channel is such that the magnetic core has a coil shape that surrounds one or more of the turns of the conductive winding. Example 16. The method of any one of Examples 1-15, wherein the method includes 3D printing the body of the electrical component with a non-magnetic, electrically insulating material in areas not occupied by the magnetic and conductive channels, wherein the conductive material of the conductive channels is fully embedded within the body so as to be isolated from environmental conditions that may degrade the conductive material. Example 17. the conductive material comprises silver; the conductive material comprises copper; the conductive material comprises palladium; the conductive material comprises a silver-palladium alloy; the magnetic material comprises a ceramic-ferrite material; the magnetic material comprises a metallic material; - Magnetic materials have a relative permeability μ of 100 or more r and The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the non-magnetic dielectric material comprises at least one of a ceramic material or a glass-ceramic material. Example 18. 3D printing (a) providing a curable resin, the curable resin comprising: a magnetic material resin comprising particles of magnetic material suspended in a curable polymer binder; a conductive material resin comprising particles of a conductive material suspended in a curable polymer binder; a non-magnetic dielectric material resin comprising particles of non-magnetic dielectric material suspended in a curable polymer binder; (b) 3D printing a curable resin, the 3D printing comprising: 3D printing and curing a magnetic material resin in the region of the magnetic channel; 3D printing and curing a conductive material resin in the area of ​​the conductive channel; 3D printing and curing a non-magnetic dielectric material area of ​​the electrical component that is not occupied by the magnetic channel and the conductive channel; 3D printing, thereby forming a 3D printed structure of the electrical component; (c) sintering the 3D printed structure of the electrical component at a temperature sufficient to burn or remove the polymer therefrom, thereby achieving near 100% ceramic or metallic density in the electrical component. Example 19. An electrical component made by the method of any one of Examples 1-18. Example 20. A flat coil having a small / low aspect ratio between its length along the magnetic axis and its width across the magnetic axis, the coil comprising: a body having a bulk portion 3D printed with a non-magnetic, electrically insulating material; a magnetic channel 3D printed in the body with a magnetic material, the magnetic channel including at least a pair of magnetic flux collectors having respective magnetic flux collecting surfaces perpendicular to a magnetic axis of the coil, and a magnetic core of the coil connected between the at least two magnetic flux collectors; a conductive channel 3D printed within the body with an electrically conductive material, the conductive channel including an arrangement of a conductive winding having a plurality of turns surrounding a magnetic core; The magnetic channel is 3D printed in a curved (e.g., folded) path such that one or more sections of the magnetic core extend along a direction transverse to the magnetic axis of the coil, and the conductive channel is 3D printed such that its turns surround one or more of the sections of the magnetic core, forming a flattened coil. Example 21. An electronic component including at least one coil, the electronic component comprising: a magnetic channel including a magnetic core of at least one coil, the magnetic channel being 3D printed with a magnetic material; a conductive channel 3D printed with an electrically conductive material, the conductive channel including an arrangement of a conductive winding having a plurality of turns surrounding a magnetic core; and an electrical insulator between the turns, the electrical insulator being 3D printed with a non-magnetic electrically insulating material. The 3D printed features of the coil, including turns of conductive winding and electrical insulation between the turns, are each printed with a minimum intralayer feature size of at least two voxels for 3D printing, the electronic component. Example 22. An electronic component as described in Example 21, which is 3D printed by printing multiple printed layers successively along a printing direction, each of the turns of the conductive winding being 3D printed planarly within one of the printed layers, the turns being 3D printed within the multiple printed layers, and the magnetic core penetrating the multiple successive printed layers. Example 23. The electronic component of Example 22, wherein the electronic component includes an electrical insulator 3D printed between adjacent turns of the conductive winding having a minimum intra-layer feature dimension of the electrical insulator of at least 2 voxels of the 3D printed electrically insulating material, and the conductive channel includes a conductive via electrically connecting between the turns in the different layers. Example 24. The electronic component of Example 23, wherein the turns include concentrically adjacent turns 3D printed on successive ones of the 3D printed layers, with a lateral spacing of 1 voxel / single voxel between the turns (i.e., between the concentrically adjacent turns). Example 25. The electronic component of Example 24, wherein the lateral spacing between concentrically adjacent turns is 1 voxel / single voxel from one or more lateral sides of the adjacent concentric turns, and conductive vias are 3D printed along at least one other lateral side of the concentric turns, and the lateral spacing between adjacent concentric turns along the at least one other lateral side is at least 2 voxels to maintain a minimum intralayer feature dimension of the insulator, such that the lateral spacing is at least 2 voxels along at least one other lateral side. Example 26. A method for fabricating a coil device with a small / low aspect ratio between its length along a magnetic axis and its width across the magnetic axis, comprising: The method includes fabricating a coil by 3D printing, the 3D printing comprising: - 3D printing a magnetic channel comprising at least a pair of magnetic flux collectors having respective magnetic flux collecting surfaces perpendicular to a magnetic axis and a magnetic core of a coil having a magnetic channel connected between the at least two magnetic flux collectors; 3D printing a conductive channel including an arrangement of a conductive winding having a plurality of turns surrounding a magnetic core; A method in which the magnetic channel is 3D printed in a curved (e.g., folded) path such that one or more sections of the magnetic core extend transversely to the magnetic axis of the coil and the turns of the conductive winding surround one or more of the sections. Example 27. A coil device fabricated by the method described in Example 26. Example 28. A method for fabricating a coil device, the method comprising: 3D printing a magnetic material to form a magnetic channel including a magnetic core of a coil; 3D printing a conductive material to form a conductive channel including an arrangement of a conductive winding having a plurality of turns surrounding a magnetic core; 3D printing a non-magnetic electrically insulating material to form an electrical insulator between the turns; each 3D printed feature of the coil, including the turns and electrical insulation, is printed with a minimum intralayer feature size of at least 2 voxels for 3D printing; The method, wherein the turns include concentrically adjacent turns 3D printed in successive 3D printed layers of the 3D printing having a lateral spacing of one voxel / single voxel between concentrically adjacent turns. Example 29. The method of Example 28, wherein the lateral spacing of one voxel / single voxel is 3D printed on one or more lateral sides of concentrically adjacent turns, and the 3D printing of the conductive channel includes 3D printing of a conductive via along at least one other lateral side of the turn to electrically connect between the turns in different layers, and the lateral spacing between adjacent concentric turns along the at least one other lateral side is at least 2 voxels to maintain electrical insulation between the turns with a minimum intralayer feature dimension of at least 2 voxels along the at least one other lateral side. Example 30. A coil device manufactured by the method of example 28 or 29.

[0093] [Embodiment] (1) A method for fabricating an electrical component including a coil device, the method comprising: 3D printing the coil device, the 3D printing comprising: 3D printing a magnetic material to form a magnetic channel including a magnetic core of the coil device; - 3D printing a conductive material to form a conductive channel, the conductive channel including a conductive winding of the coil device having turns surrounding the magnetic core; - 3D printing a non-magnetic electrically insulating material to form an electrical insulator between the turns of the conductive winding of the coil device; The method, wherein functional structures of the electrical component, including the turns of the conductive windings of the coil device and the electrical insulation between the turns, are each printed with a minimum intra-layer feature size of at least two voxels in the 3D printing, thereby facilitating robust and reliable 3D printing of the electrical component and mitigating voxel misprints. (2) The method of claim 1, wherein the 3D printing includes printing multiple printed layers successively along a printing direction, the turns of the conductive winding are 3D printed planarly within the printed layers and 3D printed within multiple of the printed layers, and the magnetic core penetrates multiple successive printed layers. (3) The method of claim 2, wherein at least some of the turns are 3D printed in successive layers. (4) - 3D printing electrical insulation between adjacent turns having a minimum intra-layer feature dimension of said electrical insulation of at least 2 voxels of 3D printed electrical insulation material; - 3D printing conductive vias to electrically connect between turns in different layers. (5) The method of claim 4, wherein the turns include adjacent concentric turns printed in successive ones of the 3D printed layers, with a lateral spacing of one voxel between the turns.

[0094] (6) The method of embodiment 5, wherein the lateral spacing of one voxel between adjacent concentric turns is positioned against one or more lateral sides of the adjacent concentric turns, the conductive via is positioned along at least one other lateral side of the concentric turns, and the lateral spacing between the adjacent concentric turns along the at least one other lateral side is at least two voxels to maintain electrical insulation at the minimum intralayer feature dimension of the at least two voxels along the at least one other lateral side. (7) The method of claim 6, wherein the turns include adjacent concentric turns 3D printed within a same layer and at least one adjacent concentric turn printed in a successive layer above or below the same layer, and the lateral spacing between the adjacent concentric turns within the same layer is 4 voxels along one or more of the lateral sides and 6 voxels along the at least one other lateral side, thereby facilitating the minimum intralayer feature dimension of the electrical insulation between each of the adjacent concentric turns and the at least one adjacent concentric turn. (8) The method of claim 1, wherein the magnetic channel is configured in an open magnetic circuit configuration, and wherein printing the magnetic channel includes printing a pair of magnetic flux collectors on opposite ends of the magnetic core, the pair of magnetic flux collectors having respective magnetic flux collecting surfaces therebetween that define a magnetic axis of the coil. (9) The method of claim 8, wherein the flux collecting surface of the magnetic flux collector is larger than the magnetic core. (10) The method of claim 8, wherein the magnetic flux collectors are tapered with their narrower surfaces connected to either end of the magnetic core and their wider surfaces functioning as the magnetic flux collecting surfaces.

[0095] (11) The method of embodiment 1, wherein the magnetic core has a rod-like shape. (12) The coil is a flat coil having a small aspect ratio between its length along its magnetic axis and its width across its magnetic axis; the magnetic channel is 3D printed along a curved path such that one or more sections of the magnetic core extend along a direction transverse to the magnetic axis of the coil, the length of the one or more sections being greater than a distance between the pair of magnetic flux collectors, and the conductive winding arrangement includes a plurality of turns surrounding the one or more sections of the magnetic core; The method of embodiment 8, thereby enabling a large number of turns to be provided along the length of the one or more sections of the magnetic core, resulting in improved sensitivity of the coil. (13) The method of claim 12, wherein the curved path of the magnetic channel is such that the magnetic core has a straight rod shape extending along the transverse direction relative to the magnetic axis. (14) The method of claim 12, wherein the curved path of the magnetic channel is such that the magnetic core has a spiral or serpentine shape, and the turns of the conductive winding surround one or more of the sections within the spiral-shaped magnetic core or the serpentine-shaped magnetic core. (15) The method of claim 12, wherein the curved path of the magnetic channel is such that the magnetic core has a coil shape that surrounds one or more of the turns of the conductive winding.

[0096] (16) The 3D printing (a) providing a curable resin, the curable resin comprising: a magnetic material resin comprising particles of magnetic material suspended in a curable polymer binder; a conductive material resin comprising particles of a conductive material suspended in a curable polymer binder; a non-magnetic dielectric material resin comprising particles of non-magnetic dielectric material suspended in a curable polymer binder; (b) 3D printing the curable resin, the 3D printing comprising: - 3D printing and curing said magnetic material resin in the region of said magnetic channel; - 3D printing and curing the conductive material resin in the region of the conductive channel; - 3D printing and curing the non-magnetic dielectric material areas of the electrical component that are not occupied by the magnetic channel and the conductive channel; 3D printing, thereby forming a 3D printed structure of the electrical component; and 2. The method of claim 1, comprising: (c) sintering the 3D printed structure of the electrical component at a temperature sufficient to burn or remove polymer therefrom, thereby achieving near 100% ceramic or metallic density in the electrical component. (17) A coil having a small aspect ratio between its length along a magnetic axis and its width across the magnetic axis, the coil comprising: a body having a bulk portion 3D printed with a non-magnetic, electrically insulating material; a magnetic channel 3D printed in the body with a magnetic material, the magnetic channel including at least a pair of magnetic flux collectors having respective magnetic flux collecting surfaces perpendicular to the magnetic axis of the coil, and a magnetic core of the coil connected between the at least two magnetic flux collectors; a conductive channel 3D printed within the body with an electrically conductive material, the conductive channel including an arrangement of a conductive winding having a plurality of turns surrounding the magnetic core; The magnetic channel is 3D printed in a curved path such that one or more sections of the magnetic core extend along a direction transverse to the magnetic axis of the coil, and the conductive channel is 3D printed such that the turns of the conductive winding surround one or more of the sections of the magnetic core. (18) An electronic component including at least one coil, the electronic component comprising: a magnetic channel including a magnetic core of the at least one coil, the magnetic channel being 3D printed with a magnetic material; a conductive channel 3D printed with an electrically conductive material, the conductive channel including an arrangement of a conductive winding having a plurality of turns surrounding the magnetic core; and an electrical insulator between the turns, the electrical insulator being 3D printed with a non-magnetic electrically insulating material; An electronic component, wherein the 3D printed features of the coil, including the turns and the electrical insulation between the turns, are each printed with a minimum intra-layer feature size of at least two voxels in the 3D printing. (19) The electronic component of embodiment 18, which is 3D printed by printing multiple printed layers successively along a printing direction, each of the turns of the conductive winding is 3D printed planarly within one of the printed layers, the turns are 3D printed within multiple of the printed layers, and the magnetic core penetrates multiple successive printed layers. (20) The electronic component of embodiment 19, further comprising an electrical insulator 3D printed between adjacent turns of the conductive winding, the electrical insulator having a minimum intra-layer feature dimension of the electrical insulator of at least two voxels of 3D printed electrical insulating material, the conductive channel including a conductive via 3D printed to electrically connect between turns in different layers.

[0097] (21) The electronic component of claim 20, wherein the turns include concentrically adjacent turns 3D printed on successive ones of the 3D printed layers, with a lateral spacing of one voxel between the turns. (22) The electronic component of embodiment 21, wherein the lateral spacing of one voxel between concentrically adjacent turns is from one or more lateral sides of the adjacent concentric turns, the conductive via is 3D printed along at least one other lateral side of the concentric turns, and the lateral spacing between the adjacent concentric turns along the at least one other lateral side is at least two voxels to maintain the minimum intralayer feature dimension of the insulator to at least two voxels along the at least one other lateral side.

Claims

1. 1. A method for fabricating an electrical component including a coil device, the method comprising: 3D printing the coil device, the 3D printing comprising: - 3D printing a magnetic material to form a magnetic channel containing a magnetic core of said coil device; - 3D printing a conductive material to form a conductive channel, the conductive channel including a conductive winding of the coil device having turns surrounding the magnetic core; - 3D printing a non-magnetic, electrically insulating material to form an electrical insulator between the turns of the conductive winding of the coil device; The method, wherein functional structures of the electrical component, including the turns of the conductive windings of the coil device and the electrical insulation between the turns, are each printed with a minimum intra-layer feature dimension of at least two voxels of the 3D printing, thereby facilitating robust and reliable 3D printing of the electrical component and mitigating voxel misprints.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the 3D printing includes printing multiple printed layers successively along a printing direction, the turns of the conductive winding are 3D printed planarly within the printed layers and 3D printed within multiple of the printed layers, and the magnetic core penetrates multiple successive printed layers.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least some of the turns are 3D printed in successive layers.

4. - 3D printing an electrical insulator between adjacent turns, the electrical insulator having a minimum intra-layer feature dimension of at least 2 voxels of 3D printed electrical insulating material; - 3D printing conductive vias for electrically connecting between turns in different layers.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the turns comprise adjacent concentric turns printed in successive ones of the 3D printed layers, with a lateral spacing of one voxel between the turns.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the lateral spacing of one voxel between adjacent concentric turns is disposed against one or more lateral sides of the adjacent concentric turns, the conductive vias are disposed along at least one other lateral side of the concentric turns, and the lateral spacing between the adjacent concentric turns along the at least one other lateral side is at least two voxels to maintain electrical insulation at the minimum intralayer feature dimension of the at least two voxels along the at least one other lateral side.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the turns include adjacent concentric turns 3D printed in a same layer and at least one adjacent concentric turn printed in a successive layer above or below the same layer, and wherein a lateral spacing between the adjacent concentric turns in the same layer is 4 voxels along one or more of the lateral sides and 6 voxels along the at least one other lateral side, thereby facilitating the minimum intra-layer feature dimension of the electrical insulation between each of the adjacent concentric turns and the at least one adjacent concentric turn.

8. 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic channel is configured in an open magnetic circuit configuration, and wherein the printing of the magnetic channel includes printing a pair of magnetic flux collectors on opposite ends of the magnetic core, the pair of magnetic flux collectors having respective flux collecting surfaces therebetween that define a magnetic axis of the coil.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the flux collecting surface of the magnetic flux collector is larger than the magnetic core.

10. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the magnetic flux collectors are tapered with narrower faces connected to opposite ends of the magnetic core and wider faces functioning as the magnetic flux collecting surfaces.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic core has a rod-like shape.

12. the coil is a flat coil having a small aspect ratio between its length along its magnetic axis and its width across its magnetic axis; the magnetic channel is 3D printed along a curved path such that one or more sections of the magnetic core extend along a direction transverse to the magnetic axis of the coil, the length of the one or more sections being greater than the distance between the pair of magnetic flux collectors, and the conductive winding arrangement includes a plurality of turns surrounding the one or more sections of the magnetic core; 9. The method of claim 8, thereby enabling a large number of said turns to be provided along the length of said one or more sections of said magnetic core, resulting in improved sensitivity of said coil.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the curved path of the magnetic channel is such that the magnetic core has a straight bar shape extending along the transverse direction relative to the magnetic axis.

14. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the curved path of the magnetic channel is such that the magnetic core has a spiral or serpentine shape, and the turns of the conductive winding surround one or more of the sections within the spiral or serpentine shaped magnetic core.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the curved path of the magnetic channel is such that the magnetic core has a coil shape that surrounds one or more of the turns of the conductive winding.

16. The 3D printing is (a) providing a curable resin, the curable resin comprising: a magnetic material resin comprising particles of magnetic material suspended in a curable polymer binder; a conductive material resin comprising particles of conductive material suspended in a curable polymer binder; a non-magnetic dielectric material resin comprising particles of non-magnetic dielectric material suspended in a curable polymer binder; (b) 3D printing the curable resin, the 3D printing comprising: - 3D printing and hardening said magnetic material resin in the area of ​​said magnetic channel; - 3D printing and curing said conductive material resin in the area of ​​said conductive channels; - 3D printing and curing the non-magnetic dielectric material areas of the electrical component that are not occupied by the magnetic and conductive channels; 3D printing, thereby forming a 3D printed structure of the electrical component; and 13. The method of claim 1 , comprising: (c) sintering the 3D printed structure of the electrical component at a temperature sufficient to burn or remove polymer therefrom, thereby achieving near 100% ceramic or metallic density in the electrical component.

17. A coil having a small aspect ratio between its length along a magnetic axis and its width across the magnetic axis, said coil comprising: a body having a bulk portion 3D printed with a non-magnetic, electrically insulating material; a magnetic channel 3D printed in the body with a magnetic material, the magnetic channel including at least a pair of magnetic flux collectors having respective flux collecting surfaces perpendicular to the magnetic axis of the coil, and a magnetic core of the coil connected between the at least two magnetic flux collectors; a conductive channel 3D printed within the body with an electrically conductive material, the conductive channel including an arrangement of a conductive winding having a plurality of turns surrounding the magnetic core; A coil, wherein the magnetic channel is 3D printed in a curved path such that one or more sections of the magnetic core extend along a direction transverse to the magnetic axis of the coil, and the conductive channel is 3D printed such that the turns of the conductive winding surround one or more of the sections of the magnetic core.

18. 1. An electronic component comprising at least one coil, the electronic component comprising: a magnetic channel including a magnetic core of the at least one coil, the magnetic channel being 3D printed with a magnetic material; a conductive channel 3D printed with an electrically conductive material, the conductive channel including an arrangement of a conductive winding having a plurality of turns surrounding the magnetic core; and an electrical insulator between the turns, the electrical insulator being 3D printed with a non-magnetic electrically insulating material; an electronic component, wherein the 3D printed features of the coil, including the turns and the electrical insulation between the turns, are each printed with a minimum intra-layer feature size of at least two voxels of the 3D printing.

19. 20. The electronic component of claim 18, wherein the electronic component is 3D printed by printing multiple printed layers successively along a printing direction, each of the turns of the conductive winding is 3D printed planarly in one of the printed layers, the turns are 3D printed within multiple of the printed layers, and the magnetic core penetrates multiple successive of the printed layers.

20. 20. The electronic component of claim 19, comprising electrical insulation 3D printed between adjacent turns of the conductive winding having a minimum intra-layer feature dimension of the electrical insulation of at least two voxels of 3D printed electrically insulating material, the conductive channels including conductive vias 3D printed to electrically connect between turns in different layers.

21. 21. The electronic component of claim 20, wherein the turns comprise concentrically adjacent turns 3D printed on successive ones of the 3D printed layers with a lateral spacing of one voxel between the turns.

22. 22. The electronic component of claim 21 , wherein the lateral spacing of one voxel between concentrically adjacent turns is from one or more lateral sides of the adjacent concentric turns, and the conductive vias are 3D printed along at least one other lateral side of the concentric turns, and the lateral spacing between the adjacent concentric turns along the at least one other lateral side is at least two voxels to maintain the minimum intralayer feature dimension of the insulator to at least two voxels along the at least one other lateral side.

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