System and method for voltage and current sensing

• US 9,366,703 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Gilbert, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tung X
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, THANG XUAN
• Application Number:
  US14/808,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20150331020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 324/127, 324/126, 324/117.R, 324/244
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00827 Current
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/20 Modifications of basic electric elements for use in electric measuring instruments; Structural combinations of such elements with such instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/181 using coils without a magnetic core, e.g. Rogowski coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/28 adapted for measuring in circuits having distributed constants

Abstract

A current sensor includes a Rogowski coil disposed on a flexible printed circuit board with at least one active lead passing through the Rogowski coil.

Claims

1. A current sensor comprising:

a printed circuit board including an upper layer, a lower layer, and an intermediate layer coupled to the upper and lower layers, each of the upper layer, the lower layer, and the intermediate layer has an opening defined therethrough, the printed circuit board being movable between a first configuration and a second configuration,

in the first configuration, the upper portion, the lower portion, and the inner conductor are disposed in the same plane,

in the second configuration, at least one of the upper portion, the lower portion, or the inner conductor is disposed at an angle relative to another of the upper portion, the lower portion, or the inner conductor and the opening of each of the upper layer, the lower layer, and the intermediate layer is coaxial with one another such that at least one lead is disposable through the opening of each of the upper layer, the lower layer, and the intermediate layer; and

a sensor assembly including;

an outer coil having;

an upper portion disposed on the upper layer of the printed circuit board; and

a lower portion disposed on the lower layer of the printed circuit board; and

an inner conductor disposed on the intermediate layer of the printed circuit board.

2. The current sensor according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion and the lower portion of the outer coil are interconnected by a plurality of vias.

3. The current sensor according to claim 1, wherein the upper layer, the lower layer, and the intermediate layer are folded over each other to enclose the inner conductor between the upper and lower portions of the outer coil.

4. The current sensor according to claim 1, wherein the outer coil and the inner conductor are coupled to a conditioning circuit.

5. The current sensor according to claim 4, wherein the sensor assembly is configured to output a differentiated signal corresponding to a current passing through the at least one lead.

6. The current sensor according to claim 5, wherein the conditioning circuit is configured to integrate the differentiated signal to output a processed current signal indicative of the current.

7. The current sensor according to claim 5, wherein the conditioning circuit includes a first portion and a second portion interconnected by the printed circuit board.

8. The current sensor according to claim 7, wherein the at least one lead is disposed between the first and second portions of the conditioning circuit.

9. The current sensor according to claim 4, wherein the printed circuit board includes a fourth layer pivotably coupled to the lower layer, the fourth layer connecting the inner conductor to the conditioning circuit.

10. The current sensor according to claim 1, wherein printed circuit board is flexible.