Electroactive polymer sensors
First Claim
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1. A sensor for detecting a change in a parameter, the sensor comprising:
- a transducer including at least two electrodes in electrical communication with an electroactive polymer wherein the electroactive polymer has an elastic modulus below about 100 MPa, the transducer configured such that a portion of the electroactive polymer deflects in response to the change in the parameter and the portion deflection produces an electrical change in the transducer; and
sensing electronics in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to detect the electrical change.
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Abstract
The invention provides sensors that comprise a transducer that converts between mechanical energy and electrical energy. The transducer comprises an electroactive polymer in electrical communication with at least two electrodes. When a relatively small voltage difference is applied between the electrodes, deflection of the polymer results in a measurable change in electrical energy for the transducer. The change in electrical energy may correspond to a change in resistance, capacitance, or a combination thereof. Sensing electronics circuits in electrical communication with electrodes detect the electrical energy change.
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Citations
117 Claims
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1. A sensor for detecting a change in a parameter, the sensor comprising:
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a transducer including at least two electrodes in electrical communication with an electroactive polymer wherein the electroactive polymer has an elastic modulus below about 100 MPa, the transducer configured such that a portion of the electroactive polymer deflects in response to the change in the parameter and the portion deflection produces an electrical change in the transducer; and
sensing electronics in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to detect the electrical change. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117)
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23. A method of using an electroactive polymer transducer which comprises at least two electrodes in electrical communication with an electroactive polymer, the method comprising:
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applying a voltage difference between the at least two electrodes;
deflecting the electroactive polymer wherein the electroactive polymer has an elastic modulus below about 100 MPa from a first position to a second position; and
detecting an electrical change in the transducer resulting from the deflection from the first position to the second position. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A sensor for detecting a change in a parameter, the sensor comprising:
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a transducer including at least two electrodes in electrical communication with an electroactive polymer wherein the electroactive polymer has an elastic modulus below about 100 MPa, the transducer configured such that a portion of the electroactive polymer deflects in response to the change in the parameter and the portion deflection produces a capacitance change in the transducer, and sensing electronics in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to detect the capacitance change. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A sensor for detecting a change in a parameter, the sensor comprising:
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a transducer including at least two electrodes in electrical communication with an electroactive polymer wherein the electroactive polymer has an elastic modulus below about 100 MPa, the transducer configured such that a portion of the electroactive polymer deflects in response to the change in the parameter and the portion deflection produces a resistance change in the transducer, and sensing electronics in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to detect the resistance change. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A sensor for detecting a change in a parameter, the sensor comprising:
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a transducer including at least two electrodes in electrical communication with an electroactive polymer wherein the electroactive polymer has an elastic modulus below about 100 MPa, the transducer configured such that a portion of the electroactive polymer deflects in response to the change in the parameter and the portion deflection produces a resistance change in the electroactive polymer; and
sensing electronics in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to detect the resistance change. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A sensor for detecting a change in a parameter, the sensor comprising:
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a transducer including at least two electrodes in electrical communication with an electroactive polymer wherein the electroactive polymer has an elastic modulus below about 100 MPa, the transducer configured such that a portion of the electroactive polymer deflects in response to the change in the parameter and the portion deflection produces a resistance change in one of the at least two electrodes; and
sensing electronics in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to detect the resistance change. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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75. A sensor for detecting a change in a parameter, the sensor comprising:
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a transducer including at least two electrodes in electrical communication with an electroactive polymer wherein the electroactive polymer has an elastic modulus below about 100 MPa, the transducer configured such that a portion of the electroactive polymer deflects in response to the change in the parameter and the portion deflection produces an impedance change in the transducer; and
sensing electronics in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to detect the impedance change. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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83. A sensor array for detecting a change in one or more parameters, the sensor array comprising:
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at least one transducer comprising, at least two electrodes coupled to a first portion of at least one electroactive polymer wherein first portion the one electroactive polymer has an elastic modulus below about 100 MPa, the at least one transducer configured such that the first portion deflects in response to a first change in the one or more parameters and the first portion deflection produces a first electrical change in the at least one transducer;
at least two electrodes coupled to a second portion of the at least one electroactive polymer, the at least one transducer configured such that the second portion deflects in response to a second change in the one or more parameters and the second portion deflection produces a second electrical change in the at least one transducer; and
sensing electronics in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes coupled to the first portion and in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes coupled to the second portion, the sensing electronics designed or configured to detect the first and second electrical change. - View Dependent Claims (84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91)
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92. A sensor for detecting a change in a parameter, the sensor comprising:
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a transducer including at least two electrodes in electrical communication with an electroactive polymer, the transducer configured such that a portion of the electromotive polymer deflects in response to the change in the parameter and the portion deflection produces an electrical change in the transducer;
sensing electronics in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to detect the electrical change;
a coupling mechanism adapted for receiving input energy associated with the change in the parameter and for transferring a portion of the input energy to the electroactive polymer wherein the coupling mechanism is a conductor in electrical communication with the transducer, the conductor providing electrical communication between the transducer and an object that produces a change in an electrical property.
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93. A method of using an electroactive polymer transducer which comprises at least two electrodes in electrical communication with an electroactive polymer, the method comprising:
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applying a voltage difference between the at least two electrodes;
deflecting the electroactive polymer from a first position to a second position; and
detecting an electrical change in the transducer resulting from the deflection from the first position to the second position wherein the deflection from the first position to the second position is associated with a change in a parameter of an object that the transducer is coupled to.
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94. A sensor for detecting a change in a parameter, the sensor comprising:
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a transducer including at least two electrodes in electrical communication with an electroactive polymer wherein the at least two electrodes have a resistance approximately less than about 10% of the electroactive polymer resistance, the transducer configured such that a portion of the electroactive polymer deflects in response to the change in the parameter and the portion deflection produces a capacitance change in the transducer; and
sensing electronics in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to detect the capacitance change.
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95. A sensor for detecting a change in a parameter, the sensor comprising:
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a transducer including at least two electrodes in electrical communication with an electroactive polymer, the transducer configured such that a portion of the electroactive polymer deflects in response to the change in the parameter and the portion deflection produces at least one of i) a capacitance change in the transducer, ii) a resistance change in the transducer;
iii) an impedance change in the transducer or iv) combinations thereof;
sensing electronics in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to detect at least one of the capacitance change, the resistance change;
the impedance change or combinations thereof anda voltage source in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes and configured to apply a voltage to the at least two electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (96)
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97. A sensor array for detecting a change in one or more parameters, the sensor array comprising:
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at least one transducer comprising, at least two electrodes coupled to a first portion of at least one electroactive polymer, the at least one transducer configured such that the first portion deflects in response to a first change in the one or more parameters and the first portion deflection produces a first electrical change in the at least one transducer;
at least two electrodes coupled to a second portion of the at least one electroactive polymer, the at least one transducer configured such that the second portion deflects in response to a second change in the one or more parameters and the second portion deflection produces a second electrical change in the at least one transducer;
sensing electronics in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes coupled to the first portion and in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes coupled to the second portion, the sensing electronics designed or configured to detect the first and second electrical change; and
a logic device in electrical communication with the sensing electronics, the logic device configured to quantify the first and second change using the electrical change received by the sensing electronics.
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98. A sensor array for detecting a change in one or more parameters, the sensor array comprising:
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at least one transducer comprising, at least two electrodes coupled to a first portion of at least one electroactive polymer, the at least one transducer configured such that the first portion deflects in response to a first change in the one or more parameters and the first portion deflection produces a first electrical change in the at least one transducer;
at least two electrodes coupled to a second portion of the at least one electroactive polymer, the at least one transducer configured such that the second portion deflects in response to a second change in the one or more parameters and the second portion deflection produces a second electrical change in the at least one transducer; and
sensing electronics in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes coupled to the first portion and in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes coupled to the second portion, the sensing electronics designed or configured to detect the first and second electrical change wherein the array comprises two transducers, and the first portion is included in a first electroactive polymer of the first transducer and the second portion is included in a second electroactive polymer of the second transducer.
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99. A sensor for detecting a change in a parameter, the sensor comprising:
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a transducer including at least two electrodes in electrical communication with an electroactive polymer, the transducer configured such that a portion of the electroactive polymer deflects in response to the change in the parameter and the portion deflection produces an electrical change in the transducer wherein the electroactive polymer is pre-strained; and
sensing electronics in electrical communication with the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to detect the electrical change.
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Specification