Integrated sensors for medical devices and method of making integrated sensors for medical devices
View Patent ↗A sensor for a medical device including a plurality of sensor segments. Each of the plurality of sensor segments can include a layer of magnetically-permeable material and a layer of electrically-conductive material disposed on the layer of magnetically-permeable material. In an example, the layer of magnetically-permeable material can be arranged in a partially-annular shape. The sensor segments can include an electrical connection formation that extends transverse to the layers of magnetically-permeable material and electrically-conductive material. The electrical connection formation can be electrically coupled with the layer of electrically-conductive material. The plurality of sensor segments can be electrically coupled with each other through an electrical coupling of the respective layer of electrically-conductive material of each sensor segment with the electrical connection formation of another sensor segment.
1. A sensor for a medical device, the sensor comprising:
a plurality of sensor segments, each one of said plurality of sensor segments comprising:
a layer of magnetically-permeable material;
a layer of electrically-conductive material disposed on the layer of magnetically-permeable material in a partially-annular shape; and
an electrical connection formation that extends transverse to the layers of magnetically-permeable material and electrically-conductive material, wherein the electrical connection formation is electrically coupled with the layer of electrically-conductive material;
wherein the plurality of sensor segments are electrically coupled with each other through an electrical coupling of the respective layer of electrically-conductive material of each sensor segment with the electrical connection formation of another sensor segment.
2. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connection formation of at least one of the sensor segments comprises a via.
3. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connection formation of at least one of the sensor segments comprises a protrusion.
4. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein each one of said plurality of sensor layers is singulated from a sheet of magnetically-permeable material.
5. The sensor of claim 4 , wherein the sensor layers are stacked so that the partially-annular shapes define a longitudinal axis, wherein each of the partially-annular shapes is disposed around the longitudinal axis.
6. The sensor of claim 5 , wherein the electrically conductive layers of the plurality of sensor segments are electrically coupled with one another and may form a continuous signal path.
7. The sensor of claim 6 , wherein the electrically conductive layers of the plurality of sensor segments form a continuous signal path arranged as a coil.
8. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the coupling is solder.
9. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the coupling is thermosonic bonding.
10. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein a portion of each sensor segment may be mechanically coupled to a common structure.
11. The sensor of claim 10 , wherein the common structure includes a medical device.
12. The sensor of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of segments are threaded over the common structure.
13. The sensor of claim 10 , wherein the common structure is a magnetically permeable structure.
14. The sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a substrate, wherein the layer of magnetically-permeable material is disposed on the substrate.
15. The sensor of claim 14 , wherein the substrate includes a polymer.
16. The sensor of claim 14 , wherein the substrate includes a flex substrate.
17. The sensor of claim 14 , further comprising a mask layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the layer of electrically-conductive material is deposited in a channel of the mask layer.
18. The sensor of claim 17 , wherein a layer of dielectric material is disposed over the mask layer.
19. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the electrically-conductive material of one or more of the plurality of sensor segments is electrically coupled with the tip electrode.