# US 11,442,042 B2 · Flexible ceramic coil circuit for high temperature non-destructive inspection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,042 B2 - Document ID: US11442042B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/452,135 - Filed: 2019-06-25 - Published: 2020-01-02 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-27 - Assignees: Olympus Scientific Solutions Americas Inc. - Applicants: Olympus Scientific Solutions Americas Corp. - Inventors: Matthew Edward Stanton; C. Tricia Liu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442042B2 ## CPC - G01N 29/2412: {using the magnetostrictive properties of the material to be examined, e.g. electromagnetic acoustic transducers [EMAT]; (investigating the presence of flaws using eddy currents G01N27/90, magnetostrictive transducers B06B1/08, measuring magnetostrictive properties G01R33/18)} - G01N 27/9006: {Details, e.g. in the structure or functioning of sensors} - G01N 29/041: {on the surface of the material, e.g. using Lamb, Rayleigh or shear waves} - G01N 29/228: {related to high temperature conditions} - G01N 29/262: {by electronic orientation or focusing, e.g. with phased arrays (phased arrays per se G10K11/34)} - H01F 5/003: {Printed circuit coils} - H01F 41/125: {Other insulating structures; Insulating between coil and core, between different winding sections, around the coil} - G01N 2291/106: one or more transducer arrays - G01N 2291/2638: Complex surfaces - H01F 2017/006: {flexible printed inductors} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES ## Abstract Disclosed is a flexible coil circuit for a non-destructive inspection probe. The coil circuit is made of multiple layers of thin flexible ceramic material, each ceramic layer having a metallization layer deposited thereon. The circuit is capable of continuous operation at temperatures up to 350° C. The metallized layers are able to slide freely over one another as the probe is flexed, enabling the probe to conform to the circumference of pipes as small as 2 inches in diameter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A measurement probe comprising: at least two layers of an electrically insulating material and a constraint along at least one edge of the at least two layers of electrically insulating material, preventing the at least two layers of electrically insulating material from separating, the constraint comprising at least one of (1) a stud or (2) an edge wall; and at least one metallization layer deposited on a first surface of one of the at least two layers of the electrically insulating material; wherein the probe is configured to scan a surface of a test object with a surface of at least one of the at least two layers of the electrically insulating material facing towards the surface of the test object; and wherein the at least two layers of the electrically insulating material are stacked and held captive by the constraint, the constraint allowing movement of a respective one of the at least two layers with respect to another of the at least two layers to facilitate flexibly conforming at least a portion of the measurement probe to a curved surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The measurement probe of claim 1, wherein the electrically insulating material comprises a material that withstands continuous operation at a temperature of 300° C. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The measurement probe of claim 1, wherein the electrically insulating material is a flexible ceramic material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The measurement probe of claim 3, wherein the flexible ceramic material comprises at least one of tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (TZP), zirconia toughened ceramic (ZTC), zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA), or a whisker-toughened ceramic. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The measurement probe of claim 3, wherein the flexible ceramic material comprises a fibrous ceramic material comprising at least ceramic fibers or a composite of ceramic fibers and a polymer material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The measurement probe of claim 1, wherein the electrically insulating material comprises a polyimide. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The measurement probe of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two layers of the electrically insulating material have a thickness of 20 microns or less. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The measurement probe of claim 1, wherein the at least one metallization layer comprises a plurality of coil structures. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The measurement probe of claim 8, wherein the coil structures are arranged to form a linear array. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The measurement probe of claim 8, wherein the coil structures are arranged to form a two-dimensional array. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The measurement probe of claim 1, comprising at least one magnetostrictive layer, abutting the surface of the layer of the electrically insulating material facing the test object. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The measurement probe of claim 1, wherein the probe is an eddy current probe. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The measurement probe of claim 1, wherein the constraint comprises the stud and a cap. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The measurement probe of claim 1, wherein the constraint comprises the edge wall and a lip. ### Claim 15 A method for performing non-destructive inspection, the method comprising: applying an inspection probe to a test object, the inspection probe comprising: at least two layers of an electrically insulating material and a constraint along at least one edge of the at least two layers of electrically insulating material, preventing the at least two layers of electrically insulating material from separating, the constraint allowing movement of a respective one of the at least two layers with respect to another of the at least two layers, and the constraint comprising at least one of (1) a stud and a cap, or (2) an edge wall including a lip; and at least one metallization layer located on a first surface of one of the at least two layers of the electrically insulating material; wherein the applying the probe comprises orienting a surface of at least one of the at least two layers of the insulation material toward a surface of the test object, including flexibly conforming at least a portion of the inspection probe to a curved surface using the movement of a respective one of the at least two layers of electrically insulating material with respect to another of the at least two layers of electrically insulating material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the inspection probe comprises at least one magnetostrictive layer abutting the surface of the layer of the electrically insulating material facing the test object, and wherein the method comprises receiving an electrical signal in the at least one metallization layer and in response, generating acoustic energy for scanning the test object using the magnetostrictive layer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the insulating material comprises a material that withstands continuous operation at a test object temperature of 300° C. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one metallization layer comprises a plurality of coil structures. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the coil structures are arranged to form a linear array. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the coil structures are arranged to form a two-dimensional array. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the inspection probe comprises an eddy current probe. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the constraint comprises the stud and the cap. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the constraint comprises the edge wall and the lip.