Flexible PCB Micro-Coil Sensor for Medical Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing miniature electromagnetic field sensing sensors for medical devices are complex, costly, and occupy excessive radial space due to the need for winding wire into annular shapes, making them unsuitable for small medical devices.
Innovation Solution
A micro-electromagnetic field coil sensor is fabricated using flexible printed circuitry, where an electrically insulative substrate with a conductive trace is deformed into a cylindrical shape to form a three-dimensional spiral coil, reducing complexity, cost, and radial space occupation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wire is wound into an annular shape to form an electromagnetic sensor, then the sensor can detect electromagnetic fields, but the fabrication becomes complicated and occupies excessive radial space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wire-winding process with a printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication process. The electromagnetic coil is formed by depositing conductive traces on a flexible substrate according to a predetermined pattern, eliminating the need for manual or automated wire winding. This substitution of mechanical fabrication with a more precise and controllable deposition process resolves the contradiction between achieving reliable electromagnetic sensing and reducing fabrication complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional wire-winding approach to a three-dimensional printed circuit structure. The conductive traces are deposited in a predetermined pattern on a flexible substrate that can be folded or curved to form the desired coil geometry. This dimensional approach allows for more precise control over the coil's physical characteristics and reduces fabrication complexity while maintaining sensing capability.
2Reliability
If wire is wound into an annular shape to form an electromagnetic sensor, then the sensor can detect electromagnetic fields, but the radial space occupied increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) as the substrate for the electromagnetic coil. This flexible film structure allows the coil to be made extremely thin while maintaining its electromagnetic sensing function. The flexible substrate can be curved or folded to achieve the necessary coil geometry without requiring significant radial space, thus resolving the contradiction between reliable sensing and minimal space occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes a three-dimensional printed circuit structure formed by depositing conductive traces on a flexible substrate that can be folded or curved. This approach allows the electromagnetic coil to achieve its functional geometry in the longitudinal dimension rather than requiring excessive radial space. The coil's effective area is created through the folding pattern of the flat substrate, dramatically reducing the radial footprint while maintaining sensing capability.
3Reliability
If conventional wire-winding methods are used to create miniature sensors, then electromagnetic sensing is achieved, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive and time-consuming wire-winding operations with a standardized PCB fabrication process. The conductive traces are deposited using automated printing or deposition techniques that are well-established in the electronics industry. This substitution eliminates the need for specialized wire-winding equipment and skilled manual labor, significantly reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining reliable electromagnetic sensing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the existing PCB fabrication infrastructure to create electromagnetic sensors. The same deposition and patterning processes used for standard electronic circuits are applied to form the electromagnetic coil traces. This universal approach allows the sensor to be manufactured using existing equipment and processes, eliminating the need for specialized tooling and reducing overall manufacturing costs while achieving reliable sensing function.
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
The flexible printed circuitry-based sensor is thinner, more cost-effective, and occupies less radial space, enabling precise position sensing within medical devices while reducing the need for fluoroscopy and associated X-ray exposure.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor assembly disposed at the distal end portion... The coil is configured to produce a signal indicative of one or more characteristics of an electromagnetic field in which it is disposed
Data Source
AI summary
An elongate medical device includes a sensor configured to detect one or more characteristics of an electromagnetic field in which the device is disposed. The sensor includes an electrically-insulative substrate, rectangular in shape, and a patterned, conductive trace disposed on the substrate. The patterned trace includes a plurality of diagonal sections parallel to one another, arranged with a relatively low pitch. The substrate is wrapped into a cylindrical shape thereby forming a three-dimensional spiral capable of functioning as a micro-electromagnetic sensor. A medical positioning system is responsive to the signal from the sensor to determine a position and/or orientation of the sensor.