ELECTROMAGNETIC SENSOR FOR USE IN MEASUREMENTS ON A SUBJECT

• US 20150305649A1
• Filed: 06/08/2015
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dune Medical Devices Ltd. (Dilon Technologies LLC)
• Original Assignee: Dune Medical Devices Ltd. (Dilon Technologies LLC)
• Inventors: COHEN, Gil, HASHIMSHONY, Dan, GELTNER, lddo, GOLOMBEK, Harel
• Granted Patent: US 10,238,313 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/3132 for laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/04 Constructional details of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/227 Sensors with electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter

Abstract

A sensor unit for use in measurements on a subject is presented. The sensor unit includes a near field electromagnetic sensor and a flexible signal transmission structure, which are integral with one another by means of at least one common continuous surface. The flexible signal transmission structure is constructed from a first layer including signal connection lines associated with sensor cells near field electromagnetic sensor and a second electrically conductive layer electrically coupled to the electrically conductive material of the sensor.

Claims

1. A sensing device for use in measurements in a body cavity of a subject, the sensing device comprising:

a housing carrying a sensing head formed by one or more near field electromagnetic tissue characterization sensor units defining a sensing surface, being a surface of an electrically conductive layer, by which the sensing head faces a region of interest in the body cavity, wherein

each sensor unit comprises;

an array of sensor cells defining a corresponding array of sensing regions arranged in a spaced-apart relationship in said sensing surface and surrounded by an electrically conductive material, and a flexible signal transmission structure integral with said near field electromagnetic sensor unit such that the signal transmission structure and the near field electromagnetic sensor have at least one common continuous surface;

the signal transmission structure and the near field electromagnetic sensor unit are configured for providing impedance controlled signal transmission to and from the sensing regions.

2. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein one or more of said one or more sensor units are adapted for relative motion with respect to at least one of the housing and the signal transmission structure.

3. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein said housing is flexible.

4. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein said body cavity comprises one of the following:

branched lumens, organ contour and excision surfaces.

5. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the sensing surface of the sensing head is a substantially planar or curved surface.

6. The sensing device of claim 2, wherein each of said one or more sensor units is mounted for back and forward motion relative to the housing or the signal transmission structure.

7. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the sensing head comprises at least two of the sensor units, the sensing surface of the sensing head being a substantially cylindrical surface formed by sensing surfaces of said at least two sensor units, the sensing regions of said at least two sensor units being arranged in a spaced-apart relationship within a circumference of said cylindrical surface.

8. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the housing has a tubular-like configuration.

9. The sensing device according to claim 1, wherein each of said one or more sensor units carried by said housing is capable of lateral sensory.

10. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein said flexible signal transmission structure comprises a first layer including an array of signal connection lines associated with said sensor cells and a second electrically conductive layer electrically coupled to said electrically conductive material surrounding the spaced-apart sensing regions.

11. The sensing device of claim 10, wherein each of at least some of said sensor cells of the sensor unit comprises an inner conductor element coupled to inside of the respective sensing region and electrically coupled to the respective one of said signal connection lines.

12. The sensing device of claim 11, wherein at least some of the sensor cells are configured as a resistive type sensor, each of said resistive type sensors has one of the following configurations:

(i) the inner conductor element of the resistive type sensor is electrically insulated from the surrounding electrically conductive material;

(ii) the sensor cell of the resistive type sensor comprises an electrical insulator material covering the sensing region insulating said sensor cell from the subject;

(iii) the resistive type sensor cell is configured to perform measurement, while the inner conductor element and the surrounding electrically conductive material are brought in direct contact with the subject.

13. The sensing device of claim 11, wherein at least some of the sensor cells are configured as inductive type sensors, the inner conductor element of each of the inductive type sensing cells being connected to the electrically conductive material surrounding the respective sensing region.

14. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein said flexible signal transmitting structure has at least one flexible band configured for bending with respect to the sensor unit with a radius of curvature smaller than a characteristic dimension of said sensor unit.

15. The sensing device of claim 10, wherein the near field electromagnetic sensor unit comprises:

a first sensor layer comprising a plurality of signal lines, which are electrically coupled to said signal connection lines of the signal transmission structure and which are thus associated with the corresponding sensor cells; and

a second sensor layer comprising said electrically conductive material and defining said sensing surface, said second sensor layer being electrically coupled to the second electrically conductive layer of the signal transmission structure.

16. The sensing device of claim 15, wherein said near field electromagnetic sensor unit comprises an additional electrically conductive sensor layer located in between said first and second sensor layers;

said additional conductive sensor layer having spaced apart signal transmission regions configured as substantially non-conductive regions aligned with at least some of the sensing regions, said signal transmission regions being substantially smaller than the corresponding sensing regions, thereby providing by said additional conductive sensor layer an electrical screening of at least a portion of the signal lines from the sensing regions.

17. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein said signal transmission structure has one of the following configurations:

(a) is configured as a flexible planar microstrip having a plurality of layers including said first and second layers being flexible planar layers;

(b) is configured as a flexible planar strip comprising a plurality of layers including the first and second layers, and additional electrically conductive layer, the second and the additional layers being located at both sides of said first layer.

18. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the sensing surface of the near field electromagnetic sensor unit is flexible.

19. An endoscope comprising the sensing device of claim 1 including said one or more tissue characterization sensor units.

20. A laparoscopic device comprising the sensing device of claim 1 including said one or more tissue characterization sensor units.

21. An endoscope comprising a sensing head by which the endoscope faces a region of interest in a body cavity, the sensing head comprising one or more near field tissue characterization sensor units, each comprising an integral structure formed by an array of sensing regions and a flexible signal transmission structure, said sensor head being mounted on a tubular housing such that each of the one or more sensor units is movable with respect to said housing.