METHOD FOR PRODUCING A MINIATURE ELECTROMAGNETIC COIL USING FLEXIBLE PRINTED CIRCUITRY

• US 20130066194A1
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2011
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical International Holding SARL (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical International Holding SARL (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Seter, Dan, Sobe, Lior, Kariv, Itay
• Granted Patent: US 10,258,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/003 Printed circuit coils
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. An elongate medical device having a body with proximal and distal end portions, comprising:

a sensor disposed at said distal end portion, said sensor including

(i) an electrically insulative substrate; and

(ii) an electrically-conductive trace disposed on said substrate and having start and end leads, said substrate and trace being configured so as to form a plurality of turns between said start and end leads, said sensor being configured to detect a characteristic of an electromagnetic field and produce a signal indicative of said characteristic, said leads being configured for electrical connection to a positioning system.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a flexible printed circuit board (PCB).

3. The device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said electrically-conductive trace is disposed on said substrate in a serpentine pattern.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said pattern includes advancing and returning sections with intervening bend sections.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said pattern is configured such that said advancing and returning sections are angled with respect to a longitudinal axis.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein said advancing and returning sections are parallel.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said pattern includes a plurality of advancing sections, said pattern being configured such that transversely opposed end of said sections are aligned and electrically connected.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said pattern is configured such that said advancing sections are angled with respect to an axis.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising a cable having a pair of electrical conductors respectively coupled to said start and end leads, said cable extending through said device to said proximal end portion thereof.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a flexible plastic material selected from the group comprising polyimide, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyester, polyethylene terephthalate and a combination thereof.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said leads appear at one of a distal end of said sensor and a proximal end of said sensor.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said leads appear at said proximal end of said sensor.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein said substrate includes a plurality of layers, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of layers contains said electrically-conductive traces configured for use in said sensor.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein at least one of said layers comprises ferromagnetic material configured to increase sensing sensitivity.

15. A method of fabricating an elongate medical device, comprising the steps of:

providing an electrically-insulative, flexible substrate;

producing an electrically-conductive trace on said substrate, said trace having start and end leads; and

deforming said substrate into a predetermined shape such that said trace forms a sensor configured to detect one or more characteristics of an electromagnetic field and produce a signal indicative thereof.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of producing the trace includes the sub-steps of:

selecting a pattern for the trace from the group comprising a continuous trace and a discontinuous trace having a plurality of separate sections.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

fixing axially-extending edges of said substrate.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said fixing step is selecting from the group comprising micro-welding, micro-soldering, micro-gluing and micro-vias.

19. An elongate medical device, comprising:

a body having proximal and distal end portions, said body having an axis at said distal end; and

a longitudinally-extending sensor disposed at said distal end portion, said sensor including

(i) an electrically insulative, flexible substrate; and

(ii) one or more electrically-conductive traces disposed on said substrate having start and end leads, said leads being configured for electrical connection to a positioning system that is configured to generate an electromagnetic field;

wherein said substrate and traces are configured into a sensor that is configured to detect one or more characteristics of the electromagnetic field and produce an indicative signal responsive thereto, said signal being configured for use by the positioning system to determine a position of said sensor in a coordinate system in accordance with said signal.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein said leads appear at said proximal end portion of said sensor, said device further comprising a cable having a pair of electrical conductors coupled to said start and end leads, said cable extending through said device to said proximal end portion thereof.