SENSOR APPLICATION COMPRISING A CARRIER STRUCTURE AND A SENSOR STRIP, CARRIER STRUCTURE, SENSOR STRIP AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SENSOR APPLICATION

• US 20100305482A1
• Filed: 11/04/2008
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Happel, Tobias, Goldbeck, Dirk David
• Application Number:
  US12/741,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20100305482A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0266 for monitoring or limiting apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0285 Apparatus for single use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/107 Measuring physical dimensions, e.g. size of the entire body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0244 with signalling or indicating means, e.g. of incorrect posture, for deep-breathing exercises

Abstract

A sensor application (11) has modules consisting of a carrier strip (13) and a sensor strip (12). The sensor strip (12) is fixed to the carrier strip (13) which, in turn, is fixed, for example, to the back of a human proband. In this way, the spinal curvature can be determined, the carrier strip (13) and the sensor strip (12) being elastically embodied for this purpose. The carrier strip (13) has a data memory (22), for example an RFID label on which relevant information is stored. The data can be evaluated by an evaluation device (14), and the sensor strip (12) is only released when the carrier strip is suitable for the sensor strip used. In this way, defective functions and measuring errors are advantageously avoided.

Claims

1. A sensor application for a moveable body, comprising

an elastic carrier structure with a connecting surface, which can be fastened to the surface of the body by the connecting surface and

a moveable sensor strip, which is held by the carrier structure following the contour of the surface,

wherein

the sensor strip and the carrier structure are connected to one another by means of a detachable connection, with

the carrier structure having a data storage device, in which a code is stored and which has a transmit interface for the code, and

the sensor strip having a switching unit, with which the sensor function can be disabled and enabled and which has a receive interface for an enabling and disabling signal obtained by evaluating the code.

2. A sensor application for a moveable body, comprising

an elastic carrier structure with a connecting surface, which can be fastened to the surface of the body by way of the connecting surface, and

a flexible sensor strip, which is held by the carrier structure following the contour of the surface,

wherein

the sensor strip and the carrier structure are connected to one another by means of a detachable connection, with

the carrier structure having a data storage device, in which a code is stored and which has a transmit interface for the code, and

the sensor strip being connected to a control device, which has a receive interface for the code and an evaluation unit for the code for generating an enabling or disabling signal, with which the sensor function can be disabled and enabled.

3. An elastic carrier structure with a connecting surface, which can be fastened to the surface of a moveable body by way of the connecting surface, comprising a receptacle for a flexible sensor strip, which can be held by the carrier structure following the contour of the surface,

wherein

the carrier structure

has a detachable connecting structure for fastening the sensor strip, and

a data storage device, in which a code is stored and which is equipped with a transmit interface for the code.

4. The carrier structure according to claim 3, wherein

the data storage device and the transmit interface are realized by means of an RFID transponder.

5. The carrier structure according to claim 3, wherein

the code contains information relating to the condition of the sensor strips to be used.

6. The carrier structure according to claim 3, wherein

the code contains a serial number.

7. The carrier structure according to claim 3, wherein the code contains a use-by date.

8. A flexible sensor strip, which can be held by an elastic carrier structure, which can be fastened for its part to a connecting surface on the surface of a moveable body,

wherein

the sensor strip comprises

has a detachable connecting structure relative to the fastening on the carrier strip following the contour of the surface, and

has a switching unit (28), with which the sensor function can be disabled and enabled and which is equipped with a receive interface for an enabling or disabling signal obtained by evaluating a code stored in the carrier structure.

9. The sensor strip according to claim 8, wherein

a receive facility for the code is integrated in the sensor strip, said receive facility being connected to an evaluation unit integrated in the sensor strip in order to generate the enabling or disabling signal, with this communicating with the receive interface or the switching unit.

10. The sensor strip according to claim 9, wherein

the receive facility consists of a read device for RFID transponders.

11. A method for operating a sensor application for a moveable body comprising the steps of:

fastening an elastic carrier structure to a connecting surface on the surface of the body,

fastening a flexible sensor strip to the carrier structure following the contour of the surface, and

generating the measured values describing the contour of the body,

wherein

the sensor strip and the carrier structure are connected to one another by a detachable connection, with

the carrier structure having a data storage device, in which a code is stored, which is read out by way of a transmit interface and evaluated, and

the sensor strip only being enabled for the generation of measured values if the evaluation of the code indicates a suitability of the carrier structure to the sensor strip and is otherwise disabled.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the data storage device and the transmit interface are realized by means of an RFID transponder.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the code contains information relating to the condition of the sensor strips to be used.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the code contains a serial number.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the code contains a use-by date.