Conductive polymer composite based sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018317849-A1
Application number	US-201815972351-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 7, 2018
Priority date	May 8, 2017
Publication date	Nov 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

One aspect relates to a conductive polymer composite based sensor, a detection unit comprising such sensor, a method for manufacturing a conductive polymer composite based sensor, and a use of the conductive polymer composite based sensor or the detection unit. The conductive polymer composite based sensor includes a substrate and a sensor material. The sensor material includes an insulating polymer matrix component and an electrically conductive component dispersed in the polymer matrix component to form the conductive polymer composite. The sensor material is pre-strained and applied to the substrate to form the sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A conductive polymer composite based sensor, comprising:
a substrate, and a sensor material, wherein the sensor material comprises an insulating polymer matrix component and an electrically conductive component dispersed in the polymer matrix component to form the conductive polymer composite; wherein the sensor material is pre-strained, and wherein the sensor material is applied to the substrate to form the sensor.

2 . The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a catheter.

3 . The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the insulating polymer matrix component is a silicone elastomer.

4 . The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive component is a carbon component.

5 . The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the carbon component comprises porous carbon particles.

6 . The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon particles have a total pore volume between 0.7 and 3.5 cm 3 /g.

7 . The sensor of claim 5 , wherein the carbon particles comprise macropores and wherein the macropores have a size between 50 and 1000 nm.

8 . The sensor of claim 7 , wherein, wherein the macropores in the carbon particles have a macropore volume between 0.6 and 2.4 cm 3 /g.

9 . The sensor of claim 5 , wherein the carbon particles further comprise mesopores with a size between 10 and 50 nm and a mesopore volume between 0.05 and 0.2 cm 3 /g.

10 . The sensor of claim 5 , wherein the carbon particles comprise essentially no micropores with a size smaller 2 nm.

11 . The sensor of claim 4 , wherein the carbon component is graphitized to a graphitization degree between 60 and 80%.

12 . The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to measure force, pressure, strain, movement, acceleration, vibration and/or changes thereof.

13 . The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured as an electrophysiology ablation catheter.

14 . A method for manufacturing a conductive polymer composite based sensor, comprising:
providing a sensor material comprising an insulating polymer matrix component and an electrically conductive component dispersed in the polymer matrix component to form the conductive polymer composite; pre-straining the sensor material; and applying the sensor material to a substrate to form the sensor.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the providing of the sensor material comprises a pressing of the sensor material through a cylindrical die to form at least one sensor material rod.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the providing of the sensor material further comprises a cutting of the sensor material rod to an initial sensor length.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the providing of the sensor material further comprises a curing of the sensor material between 150 and 250° C. for between 1 and 2 hours.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein one end of the sensor material is taped to the substrate, the other end is pre-strained and then taped to the substrate.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the pre-straining of the sensor material comprises a pulling of the sensor material to an elongated sensor length.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the pre-straining of the sensor material comprises a pulling to an elongation between a range of 7 to 15%.

21 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the pre-straining of the sensor material comprises a compression of the sensor material.

22 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the application of the sensor material to the substrate comprises a gluing of the sensor material on at least one pair of electrodes of the substrate by means of an electrically conductive adhesive.

23 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the application further comprises a curing of the adhesive between 100 and 200° C. for between 5 and 15 minutes.

24 . The method of claim 14 further comprising cutting the sensor material extending over the electrodes.

25 . A detection unit, comprising:
a conductive polymer composite based sensor according to claim 1 ; a conductor; and a processing element; wherein the conductor is configured for transferring a signal from the conductive polymer composite to the processing element, and wherein the processing element is configured to process a signal provided by the conductive polymer composite based sensor.

26 . The detection unit of claim 25 , wherein the conductive polymer composite based sensor is a piezoresistive sensor and the processing element is configured to process a change of electrical resistance detected by the composite based sensor into a mechanical load applied to the composite based sensor.

Assignees

• Heraeus Deutschland Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Schibli Stefan
• Specht Heiko
• Nikolaidis Ilias
• Bhimani Parth

Classifications

• A61M25/0009

  Making of catheters or other medical or surgical tubes · CPC title

• A61L29/06

  obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds · CPC title

• A61L29/02

  Inorganic materials · CPC title

• A61M25/0045

  multi-layered, e.g. coated (coating materials A61L29/08) · CPC title

• A61B18/1492

  having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation (A61B18/1477 takes precedence) · CPC title