Miniature coils on core with printed circuit

• US 20070157828A1
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Raz, Dan, Fried, Shlomo, Shalgi, Avi, Benatav, Dror, Susel, Pesach
• Granted Patent: US 7,816,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 101/35
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3954 magnetic, e.g. NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2005/027 wound on formers for receiving several coils with perpendicular winding axes, e.g. for antennae or inductive power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/076 Forming taps or terminals while winding, e.g. by wrapping or soldering the wire onto pins, or by directly forming terminals from the wire
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/10 Connecting leads to windings making electric connections in general H01R43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/04 Arrangements of electric connections to coils, e.g. leads

Abstract

A method for producing a coil assembly includes overlaying printed circuit traces on a core. The traces include terminals for coupling to conductive connections on a base on which the coil assembly is to be mounted. Two or more wires are wrapped around the core so as to define two or more coils, wrapped in different, respective directions. The ends of the wires are coupled to the printed circuit traces, so as to connect the wires through the traces to the terminals.

Claims

1. A method for producing a coil assembly, comprising:

overlaying printed circuit traces on a core, the traces comprising terminals for coupling to conductive connections on a base on which the coil assembly is to be mounted;

wrapping two or more wires around the core so as to define two or more coils, wrapped in different, respective directions, the wires having respective ends; and

coupling the ends of the wires to the printed circuit traces, so as to connect the wires through the traces to the terminals.

2. The method according to claim 1, and comprising mounting the coil assembly on the base, and soldering the terminals to the conductive connections so as to connect the wires to other circuitry via the base.

3. The method according to claim 1, and comprising mounting the coil assembly on the base, and wire-bonding the terminals to the conductive connections so as to connect the wires to other circuitry via the base.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein overlaying the printed circuit traces comprises printing the traces onto the core.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the core comprises a dielectric material, which is configured as a bobbin to receive the two or more wires, the bobbin comprising a flange upon which the terminals are printed.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the dielectric material comprises at least one of a ceramic and a plastic material.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the core comprises a magnetic material.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein overlaying the printed circuit traces comprises printing the traces on a flexible dielectric substrate, and placing the dielectric substrate over the core before wrapping the two or more wires.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein overlaying the printed circuit traces comprises forming printed calibration coils over the core, and comprising using the printed calibration coils to calibrate a response of the coils defined by wrapping the two or more wires around the core to a magnetic field.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein wrapping the two or more wires comprises wrapping three coils around the core in respective, mutually-orthogonal directions.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises an area of a printed circuit substrate.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the base is a part of a cable connector.

13. A coil assembly, comprising:

a core;

printed circuit traces overlaid on the core, the traces comprising terminals for coupling to conductive connections on a base on which the coil assembly is to be mounted; and

two or more wires wrapped around the core in different, respective directions so as to define two or more coils, the wires having respective ends, which are coupled to the printed circuit traces, so as to connect the wires through the traces to the terminals.

14. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the traces are printed onto the core.

15. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein the core comprises a dielectric material, which is configured as a bobbin to receive the two or more wires, the bobbin comprising a flange upon which the terminals are printed.

16. The assembly according to claim 15, wherein the dielectric material comprises at least one of a ceramic and a plastic material.

17. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the core comprises a magnetic material.

18. The assembly according to claim 13, and comprising a flexible dielectric substrate, upon which the circuit traces are printed, wherein the dielectric substrate is placed over the core before wrapping the two or more wires.

19. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the printed circuit traces comprise printed calibration coils, which are used to calibrate a response of the coils defined by wrapping the two or more wires around the core to a magnetic field.

20. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the two or more wires are wrapped around the core so as to define three coils, which are wrapped in respective, mutually-orthogonal directions.

21. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the base comprises an area of a printed circuit substrate.

22. The method according to claim 13, wherein the base is a part of a cable connector.

23. A sensor, comprising:

a circuit substrate;

a coil assembly, which is mounted on the circuit substrate, and which comprises;

a core;

printed circuit traces overlaid on the core, the traces comprising terminals, which are coupled to the circuit substrate; and

two or more wires wrapped around the core in different, respective directions so as to define two or more coils, the wires having respective ends, which are coupled to the printed circuit traces, so as to connect the wires through the traces to the terminals; and

a processing circuit, which is coupled to the circuit substrate so as to receive signals produced by the coil assembly in response to a magnetic field, and which is adapted to process the signals so as to generate data with respect to the magnetic field.

24. The sensor according to claim 23, wherein the data generated by the processing circuit are indicative of a position of the sensor.

25. The sensor according to claim 24, wherein the circuit substrate, coil assembly and processing circuit are contained in a housing suitable for insertion into a body of a patient.

26. A sensor, comprising:

a connector containing a base comprising conductive connections;

a coil assembly, which is mounted on the circuit substrate, and which comprises;

a core;

printed circuit traces overlaid on the core, the traces comprising terminals, which are coupled to the conductive connections of the connector; and

two or more wires wrapped around the core in different, respective directions so as to define two or more coils, the wires having respective ends, which are coupled to the printed circuit traces, so as to connect the wires through the traces to the terminals;

a processing circuit, which is adapted to process signals produced by the coil assembly in response to a magnetic field so as to generate data with respect to the magnetic field; and

a cable, coupled between the conductive connections of the connector and the processing circuit so as to convey the signals from the coil assembly to the processing circuit.

27. The sensor according to claim 26, wherein the data generated by the processing circuit are indicative of a position of the sensor.

28. The sensor according to claim 26, wherein the coil assembly is encapsulated in a housing suitable for insertion into a body of a patient.