A SENSING DEVICE, SYSTEM AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF

• US 20170328793A1
• Filed: 11/19/2015
• Published: 11/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research, Alexandra Health Pte., Ltd., Hwan Ing Hee
• Original Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research, Alexandra Health Pte., Ltd., Singapore Health Services Pte Limited (MOH Holdings Pte Limited)
• Inventors: HEE, HWAN ING, SUN, TAO, XUE, NING, GU, ALEX YUANDONG, YU, HONGBIN, WONG, YVONNE
• Application Number:
  US15/528,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20170328793A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0027 Structures for transforming mechanical energy, e.g. potential energy of a spring into translation, sound into translation
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2405 by varying dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2417 by varying separation
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/04 by measuring elastic deformation of gauges, e.g. of springs
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/14 by measuring variations in capacitance or inductance of electrical elements, e.g. by measuring variations of frequency of electrical oscillators
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0072 using variations in capacitance

Abstract

A sensing device comprising a first array of electrodes encapsulated in a first elastomeric layer; a second array of electrodes encapsulated in a second elastomeric layer; a third elastomeric layer intermediate the first and second elastomeric layer and comprising an array of micro-structures, wherein said electrodes and elastomeric layers are configured such that a displacement of said micro-structures, in response to one or more forces and/or pressures applied to said device, causes a capacitance of said device to vary as a function of said forces and/or pressure applied.

Claims

1. A sensing device comprising:

a first array of electrodes encapsulated in a first elastomeric layer;

a second array of electrodes encapsulated in a second elastomeric layer;

a third elastomeric layer intermediate the first and second elastomeric layer and comprising an array of micro-structures,

wherein said electrodes and elastomeric layers are configured such that a displacement of said micro-structures, in response to one or more forces and/or pressures applied to said device, causes a capacitance of said device to vary as a function of said forces and/or pressure applied.

2. A sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the capacitance is inversely proportional to a distance between the first and second array of electrodes.

3. A sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the third elastomeric layer comprises an elastic resistance lower than an elastic resistance of the first or second elastomeric layer.

4. A sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the third elastomeric layer comprises a dielectric constant lower than a dielectric constant of the first or second elastomeric layer.

5. A sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said device further comprises a first array of interconnects configured to transmit one or more capacitance signals between the electrodes in the first array, and one or more external devices.

6. A sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said device further comprises a second array of interconnects configured to transmit one or more capacitance signals between the electrodes in the second array, and one or more external devices.

7. A sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the first, second, and/or third elastomeric layer comprise polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or polyurethane.

8. A sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or second array of electrodes comprises a material selected from the group comprising a ductile metal, an electrically conducting polymer, an electrically conductive paste, an electrically conductive gel and an electrically conductive ink.

9. A sensing device according to claim 8, wherein the ductile metal is selected from the group comprising:

titanium, copper, silver, gold and platinum.

10. A sensing system comprising:

a display unit;

a power supply;

one or more sensing devices according to claim 1; and

a printed circuit board comprising one or more integrated circuits configured to receive one or more signals from said sensing devices, and to process said signals received to information for real-time display on the display unit.

11. The sensing system according to claim 10, wherein said system comprises one or more multiplexers connected to the first and/or second array of interconnects, said multiplexers configured to select one of several capacitance signals received from the electrodes, and to transmit said selected signal to an external device.

12. The sensing system according to claim 10, wherein the system further comprises a converter for converting one or more capacitance signals received from the multiplexers to voltage signals for further processing.

13. The sensing system according to claim 10, wherein the printed circuit board comprises one or more of a digital integrated circuit, an analog integrated circuit, a microprocessor, a capacitor, a resistor, a logic gate and a memory.

14. A method of fabricating a sensing device comprising the steps of:

providing a first layer of electrodes encapsulated in a first elastomeric layer;

providing a second layer of electrodes encapsulated in a second elastomeric layer;

providing a third layer elastomeric layer comprising an array of micro-structures;

arranging said layers such that the third layer is intermediate the first and second layers, and a displacement of said micro-structures, in response to one or more forces and/or pressures applied to said device, causes a capacitance of said device to vary as a function of the forces and/or pressures applied.

15. A method according to claim 14, comprising a step after said arranging step, of bonding said layers together with adhesives.

16. A method according to claim 14, comprising a step after said arranging step, exposing the first, second and third elastomeric layers to ultraviolet radiation for bonding said layers together.

17. A method according to claim 14, comprising a step of forming the first, second and/or third layers with PDMS or polyurethane.

18. A method according to claim 14, comprising a step of forming the first and/or second arrays of electrode with a material selected from the group comprising a ductile metal, an electrically conducting polymer, an electrically conductive paste, an electrically conductive gel and an electrically conductive inks.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the ductile metal is selected from the group comprising:

titanium, copper, silver, gold and platinum.

20. A method according to claim 14, comprising a step of forming the third elastomeric layer by soft lithography.