Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement
Utility Patent
1994-07-20
2001-01-02
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2841)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement
C174S260000, C174S050510, C324S247000, C604S065000
Utility Patent
active
06169254
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for mounting and making electrical connections to solid state sensors, which is typically referred to as packaging. The present invention relates specifically to the mounting and electrical connecting of sensors for the sensing of a condition occurring in mutually perpendicular planes which may be referred to as three axis sensing.
Three axis sensing is useful for determining the location and or orientation of a device which is carrying the apparatus and is moving in a known magnetic field created for the purpose of determining the location of the apparatus.
One application for such an apparatus is in the field of medical devices where miniaturized three axis sensing may be used in conjunction with a magnetic field having known characteristics to determine the location and orientation of a portion of a medical device.
In many medical devices, of which a catheter is one example, a three-axis sensing apparatus must be extremely small to be able to be inserted into a small channel or passageway within the device.
Thus a need exists for a three axis mounting and electrically connecting apparatus for sensing devices that can be inserted into a small elongated passageway.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves these and other needs by providing an apparatus including an elongated flexible circuit having conductors and a substrate of a certain shape for providing a stiffness to the portion of the flexible circuit on which sensor devices are mounted. The substrate has a shape which includes a first portion having a surface lying in a plane which includes a desired first sensing direction and a desired second sensing direction for mounting a first and a second sensor. The substrate further includes a second portion having a surface lying in a plane which includes a desired third sensing direction. Sensor devices are electrically connected to the conductors of the flexible circuit by wire bonds or other means.
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Pant Bharat B.
Spielberger Richard K.
Cuneo Kamand
Fredrick Kris T.
Gaffin Jeffrey
Honeywell Inc.
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