3D-Printed Compact Coils With Integrated Core and Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for more efficient, cost-effective techniques to fabricate small, high-sensitivity coils for magnetic-field-based position sensing in medical devices like catheters, which require accurate location and force sensing within narrow dimensions.
Innovation Solution
The use of 3D printing to fabricate electric components with compact coils, utilizing multiple materials such as magnetic, conductive, and dielectric materials, to achieve high induced-voltage sensitivity suitable for position sensing in medical devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If wire-winded coils with manual ferrite core insertion are used, then coil sensitivity can be achieved, but manufacturing complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the coil winding and ferrite core into a single integrated component fabricated by 3D printing. The conductive material forms the coil windings while the magnetic material forms the ferrite core, eliminating the need for separate manual assembly steps and reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining coil sensitivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The 3D printing process serves multiple functions simultaneously: it fabricates both the conductive coil windings and the magnetic ferrite core in a single manufacturing step, while also providing structural support and insulation. This multi-functional approach resolves the contradiction by simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
2Measurement precision
If wire-winded coils with manual assembly are used, then coil performance can be achieved, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The 3D printing process performs preliminary actions by pre-forming both the coil windings and ferrite core in their final configurations before assembly. The conductive and magnetic materials are deposited in their precise final positions, eliminating subsequent manual manipulation and reducing production time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual assembly process with an automated 3D printing system. The additive manufacturing process automatically deposits materials layer by layer to form both the coil and core, substituting labor-intensive mechanical operations with automated digital manufacturing, thereby increasing productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the reliable and cost-effective fabrication of small, high-sensitivity coils that can be accurately fitted within narrow medical devices, providing precise location and force sensing capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
The coils fabricated in this way are then soldered to a cable that carries the coil signal to processing circuits
Data Source
AI summary
Electric components including coils and methods to fabricate the same by 3D-printing are disclosed. The method includes: 3D printing a magnetic material to form a magnetic channel comprising a magnetic core of the coil device; 3D printing a conductive material to form a conductive channel, including conductive windings of the coil device with turns surrounding the magnetic core; and 3D printing a non-magnetic electrically insulating material to form electrical insulation between the turns of the conductive windings of the coil device. In some embodiments functional structures of the electric component, including the turns of the conductive windings of the coil and the electrical insulation between the turns, are each printed with minimal in-layer feature size of at least two voxels of the 3D-printing. Some embodiments facilitate 3D-printing of flattened coil devices having low aspect ratio between their lengths along their magnetic axes and their widths perpendicular thereto.