INDUCTIVE COIL DEVICE ON FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE

• US 20120029343A1
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Wasson, James R., Norgaard, Clark B., Fleischhauer, Bruce C., Mattes, Michael F., Schulhauser, Randal C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,543,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/006 flexible printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2809 on stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/041 Printed circuit coils apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in general H05K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/003 Printed circuit coils
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/055 Folded back on itself
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49071 by winding or coiling

Abstract

A device includes a flexible substrate, N coiled conductors, and a plurality of folding regions. The N coiled conductors are deposited on the flexible substrate and connected in series by conductive interconnects. N is greater than 1. Each of the folding regions is defined by a separation distance between adjacent ones of the N coiled conductors. The conductive interconnects traverse the folding regions between the N coiled conductors to connect the N coiled conductors in series. The flexible substrate is folded such that the N coiled conductors form a stack of N coiled conductors.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a flexible substrate;

N coiled conductors deposited on the flexible substrate, the N coiled conductors connected in series by conductive interconnects; and

a plurality of folding regions in the flexible substrate, each of the folding regions defined by a separation distance between adjacent ones of the N coiled conductors,

wherein the conductive interconnects traverse the folding regions between the N coiled conductors to connect the N coiled conductors in series, wherein the flexible substrate is folded such that the N coiled conductors form a stack of N coiled conductors, and wherein N is greater than 1.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate includes polyimide.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the N coiled conductors include a metallic material.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the N coiled conductors share a common axis when the substrate is folded such that the N coiled conductors form the stack of N coiled conductors.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the N coiled conductors circumscribe corresponding center regions a plurality of times, and wherein the center regions share a common axis when the flexible substrate is folded such that the N coiled conductors form the stack.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the N coiled conductors includes multiple layers of coils connected in series, and wherein the multiple layers of coils are stacked such that the multiple layers of coils share a common axis.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive interconnects are deposited on the flexible substrate such that at least one of the conductive interconnects is located at the inside of a bend radius created when the flexible substrate is folded.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of folding regions includes stress relief regions formed in the flexible substrate.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the stress relief regions include one of thinned portions of the flexible substrate or through holes in the flexible substrate.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the separation distances between the adjacent ones of the N coiled conductors are variable.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the N coiled conductors are folded such that a flap of the flexible substrate is sandwiched between two of the N coiled conductors, and wherein the flap does not include a deposited one of the N coiled conductors.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is folded such that the flexible substrate and the N coiled conductors are rolled, and wherein the N coiled conductors share a common axis.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising an interface module that one of applies voltage across the N coiled conductors or measures a voltage generated across the N coiled conductors.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising M coiled conductors which are insulated from the N coiled conductors, wherein M is greater than 1.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the M coiled conductors are interlaced with the N coiled conductors, wherein the M coiled conductors share a common axis when the flexible substrate is folded, and wherein the M coiled conductors share a common axis with the N coiled conductors when the flexible substrate is folded.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the M coiled conductors are deposited over top of the N coiled conductors, and wherein the M coiled conductors share a common axis when the flexible substrate is folded.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the N and M coiled conductors form a transformer when the flexible substrate is folded, wherein the N coiled conductors form one of the coils of the transformer, and wherein the M coiled conductors form another of the coils of the transformer.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the N coiled conductors forms a spiral conductor.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the N coiled conductors of the stack are substantially parallel.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the N coiled conductors are deposited as a strip of N coiled conductors, wherein the coiled conductor deposited at a first edge of the strip is located in a center of the stack, and wherein the coiled conductor deposited at a second edge of the strip, opposite to the first edge of the strip, is located on an outside of the stack.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is folded such that N−

1 of the N coiled conductors are wrapped around one of the N coiled conductors.

22. A device comprising:

a flexible substrate; and

N coiled conductors deposited on the flexible substrate and connected in series,

wherein at least one of the N coiled conductors circumscribes a center region a plurality of times, wherein the flexible substrate is folded such that the N coiled conductors form a stack of N coiled conductors, and wherein N is greater than 1.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the N coiled conductors share a common axis when the flexible substrate is folded such that the N coiled conductors form the stack of N coiled conductors.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the N coiled conductors define a plurality of folding regions in the flexible substrate, each of the folding regions defined by a separation distance between adjacent ones of the N coiled conductors, and wherein conductive interconnects traverse the folding regions between the N coiled conductors to connect the N coiled conductors in series.

25. The device of claim 22, further comprising M coiled conductors which are insulated from the N coiled conductors, wherein the N and M coiled conductors form a transformer when the flexible substrate is folded, wherein the N coiled conductors form one of the coils of the transformer, wherein the M coiled conductors form another of the coils of the transformer, and wherein M is greater than 1.

26. A method comprising:

depositing a flexible material on a support substrate;

depositing N coiled conductors on a portion of the flexible material, wherein N is greater than 1;

separating the flexible material from the support substrate; and

folding the flexible material such that the N coiled conductors form a stack of N coiled conductors.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising folding a flap of the flexible material over one of the N coiled conductors prior to folding the flexible material such that the N coiled conductors form the stack of N coiled conductors.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising folding the flexible material such that the N coiled conductors share a common axis.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein at least one of the N coiled conductors circumscribes a center region a plurality of times.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising depositing M coiled conductors in proximity to the N coiled conductors such that the M coiled conductors are insulated from the N coiled conductors, wherein the N and M coiled conductors form a transformer when the flexible material is folded, wherein the N coiled conductors form one of the coils of the transformer, wherein the M coiled conductors form another of the coils of the transformer, and wherein M is greater than 1.

31. An image guided therapy (IGT) system comprising:

an inductive device comprising;

a flexible substrate; and

N coiled conductors deposited on the flexible substrate and connected in series,

wherein at least one of the N coiled conductors circumscribes a center region a plurality of times, wherein the flexible substrate is folded such that the N coiled conductors form a stack of N coiled conductors, and wherein N is greater than 1; and

a tracking system that receives signals from the inductive device and that determines a position of the inductive device in the IGT system based on the received signals.

32. The IGT system of claim 31, further comprising an emitting device that generates an electromagnetic field, wherein the inductive device generates the signals that are received by the tracking system in response to the electromagnetic field.

33. The IGT system of claim 31, further comprising a catheter that includes the inductive device.

34. The IGT system of claim 31, wherein a portion of the tracking system is powered by the signals from the inductive device.