Intravascular pressure devices incorporating sensors manufactured using deep reactive ion etching
First Claim
1. An intravascular pressure sensor assembly comprising:
- a flexible elongate member including a proximal and a distal end;
a housing mounted at the distal end of the flexible elongate member; and
a sensor chip, contained within the housing, comprising;
a widened portion that substantially abuts an inner wall of the housing, anda cantilevered portion integrally formed with and extending distally from the widened portion in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the flexible elongate member, wherein the cantilevered portion is relatively narrow in relation to the widened portion, the cantilevered portion including a diaphragm comprising at least one piezoresistive element, the sensor chip including a non-rectangular transition between the widened portion and the cantilevered portion on both sides of the cantilevered portion, the non-rectangular transition curving inwardly from the widened portion towards the cantilevered portion as the cantilevered portion extends distally from the widened portion; and
wherein one or more physical features of the sensor chip are formed using photolithography in combination with deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) processing.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An intravascular pressure sensor assembly is disclosed herein that is produced in part using photolithography and DRIE solid-state device production processes. Using DRIE production processes facilitates a number of features that could not be readily incorporated in sensor chips fabricated using mechanical saws. In accordance with a first feature, sensor chips are created with non-rectangular outlines. The sensor chip includes a widened portion that substantially abuts an inner wall of a sensor housing, and a cantilevered portion that is relatively narrow in relation to the widened portion. The non-rectangular outline of the sensor chip is formed using photolithography in combination with DRIE processing. In accordance with another feature, the sensor chip is positioned width-wise in the housing, thereby reducing a required length for the housing. In accordance with yet another feature, the sensor chip comprises one or more cutouts for receiving signal wires for connection to signal lead lines on the sensor chip. The outline of the sensor chip and the cutouts are formed using photolithography in combination with DRIE processing.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An intravascular pressure sensor assembly comprising:
-
a flexible elongate member including a proximal and a distal end; a housing mounted at the distal end of the flexible elongate member; and a sensor chip, contained within the housing, comprising; a widened portion that substantially abuts an inner wall of the housing, and a cantilevered portion integrally formed with and extending distally from the widened portion in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the flexible elongate member, wherein the cantilevered portion is relatively narrow in relation to the widened portion, the cantilevered portion including a diaphragm comprising at least one piezoresistive element, the sensor chip including a non-rectangular transition between the widened portion and the cantilevered portion on both sides of the cantilevered portion, the non-rectangular transition curving inwardly from the widened portion towards the cantilevered portion as the cantilevered portion extends distally from the widened portion; and wherein one or more physical features of the sensor chip are formed using photolithography in combination with deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) processing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
12. An intravascular pressure sensor assembly comprising:
-
a flexible elongate member including a proximal end and a distal end; a housing mounted at the distal end of the flexible elongate member; and a sensor chip, contained by the housing, including a diaphragm including at least one piezoresistive element, wherein the sensor chip comprises; a rectangular mounting structure sized and shaped to engage an inner wall of the housing, wherein one or more cutouts are formed in the mounting structure, the one or more cutouts configured for receiving signal wires for connection to signal lead lines on the sensor chip; a rectangular cantilevered structure integrally formed with and extending distally from the mounting structure in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the flexible elongate member, wherein the cantilevered structure has a width less than the width of the mounting structure such that the cantilevered structure is spaced from the inner wall of the housing when the mounting structure is engaged with the inner wall of the housing, wherein the diaphragm is formed within the cantilevered structure; and a non-rectangular transition between the rectangular mounting structure and the rectangular cantilevered structure on both sides of the cantilevered portion, the non-rectangular transition curving inwardly from the widened portion towards the cantilevered portion as the cantilevered portion extends distally from the widened portion. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
-
Specification