# US 2014/0150562 A1 · Three dimensional transducer

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- Number: US 2014/0150562 A1
- Document ID: US20140150562A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/004,138
- Filed: 2012-03-09
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-03-09
- Assignees: Hysitron, Inc.
- Inventors: Oden Lee Warren; Syed Amanulla Syed Asif; Yunje Oh; Yuxin Feng; Edward Cyrankowski; Ryan Major
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150562A1

## CPC

- G01B 7/16: for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. by resistance strain gauge
- G01Q 60/366: {Nanoindenters, i.e. wherein the indenting force is measured}
- G01D 5/2417: {by varying separation}
- G01L 5/165: using variations in capacitance
- G01N 3/42: by performing impressions under a steady load by indentors, e.g. sphere, pyramid (G01N3/54 takes precedence)
- G01N 2203/0286: Miniature specimen; Testing on microregions of a specimen
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- G01Q: SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES OR APPARATUS; APPLICATIONS OF SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES, e.g. SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY [SPM]
- G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G)
- 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)

## Abstract

A testing instrument for mechanical testing at nano or micron scale includes a transducer body, and a coupling shaft coupled with a probe tip. A transducer body houses a capacitor. The capacitor includes first and second counter electrodes and a center electrode assembly interposed therebetween. The center electrode assembly is movable with the coupling shaft relative to the first and second counter electrodes, for instance in one or more of dimensions including laterally and normally. The center electrode assembly includes a center plate coupled with the coupling shaft and one or more springs extending from the center plate. Upper and lower plates are coupled with the center plate and cover the center plate and the one or more springs. A shaft support assembly includes one or more support elements coupled along the coupling shaft. The shaft support assembly provides lateral support to the coupling shaft.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-19. (canceled)

### Claim 20

A testing instrument for mechanical testing at a one or more of nano or micron scale comprising:
a transducer body;
a coupling shaft;
a probe tip coupled with the coupling shaft; and
a capacitor housed within the transducer body, the capacitor includes:
first and second counter electrodes coupled with the transducer body, and
a center electrode assembly interposed between the first and second counter electrodes, the center electrode assembly is movable with the coupling shaft relative to the transducer body, and the center electrode assembly includes:
a center plate coupled with the coupling shaft,
one or more springs coupled between the transducer body and the center plate, the one or more springs extending from the center plate,
an upper plate covering the center plate and the one or more springs, the upper plate is engaged with a center plate first face, and
a lower plate covering the center plate and the one or more springs, the lower plate is engaged with a center plate second face, and the center plate and the one or more springs suspend the upper and lower plates.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The testing instrument recited in claim 20, wherein the upper plate continuously overlies the entire first counter electrode, and the lower plate continuously overlies the entire second counter electrode.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The testing instrument recited in claim 21, wherein the first and second counter electrodes each include two or more electrically isolated sections, and the upper plate continuously overlies each of the two or more sections of the first counter electrode, and the lower plate continuously overlies each of the two or more sections of the second counter electrode.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The testing instrument recited in claim 20, wherein the upper and lower plates extend from a coupling shaft perimeter to a position immediately adjacent to a transducer body inner perimeter, and the first and second counter electrodes extend from the coupling shaft perimeter to the position immediately adjacent to the transducer body inner perimeter.

### Claim 24

(canceled)

### Claim 25 (depends on 20)

The testing instrument recited in claim 20, wherein one or both of the upper and lower plates include spring recesses sized and shaped to receive the one or more springs during deflection of the one or more springs.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The testing instrument recited in claim 25, wherein surfaces of the upper and lower plates facing the center plate include the spring recesses, and opposed surfaces of the upper and lower plates facing the first and second counter electrodes are continuously planar.

### Claim at position 9

27-29. (canceled)

### Claim 30 (depends on 20)

The testing instrument recited in claim 20, wherein the one or more springs extend from a transducer body inner perimeter inwardly to the center plate.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The testing instrument recited in claim 30, wherein the center plate extends radially from the coupling shaft to a center plate perimeter adjacent to the transducer body inner perimeter, and the one or more springs extend through the center plate perimeter.

### Claim 32

(canceled)

### Claim 33 (depends on 20)

The testing instrument recited in claim 20 comprising a shaft support assembly supporting the coupling shaft, the shaft support assembly includes:
a deflectable proximal support element coupled between the coupling shaft and the transducer body, the proximal support element is proximally spaced from the capacitor,
a deflectable distal support element coupled between the coupling shaft and the transducer body, the distal support element is distally spaced from the capacitor and positioned between the capacitor and the probe tip,
wherein one or more of the proximal and distal support elements each include one or more spring elements coupled between the coupling shaft and the transducer body.

### Claim 34

(canceled)

### Claim 35

(canceled)

### Claim 36 (depends on 33)

The testing instrument recited in claim 33, wherein the proximal and distal support elements radially engage the coupling shaft around a coupling shaft perimeter, and the proximal and distal support elements laterally support the coupling shaft against lateral movement of the coupling shaft.

### Claim 37

A method for using a testing instrument configured for movement or measurement at one or more of a nano or micron scale comprising:
engaging a probe tip of a coupling shaft with a subject, the coupling shaft is coupled with a capacitor assembly, wherein the capacitor assembly includes:
a center electrode assembly movable with the coupling shaft, the center electrode assembly includes upper and lower plates engaged to a center plate, the upper and lower plates cover the center plate and one or more springs extending between a transducer body and the center plate, and the center plate and the one or more springs suspend the upper and lower plates, and
first and second counter electrodes facing the upper and lower plates;
transmitting at least one excitation signal to the first and second counter electrodes; and
measuring one or more of displacement of the probe tip and force incident on the probe tip according to measurable electrical characteristics in an output signal received from the center electrode assembly based on the at least one excitation signal.

### Claim at position 18

38-41. (canceled)

### Claim 42 (depends on 37)

The method recited in claim 37, wherein measuring one or more of the displacement of the probe tip and force incident on the probe tip includes measuring displacement and force in one or more dimensions including normal and lateral directions.

### Claim 43 (depends on 37)

The method recited in claim 37, wherein transmitting at least one excitation signal includes transmitting a plurality of excitation signals to respective sections of the first and second electrodes, and
measuring one or more of the displacement of the probe tip and the force incident on the probe tip includes measuring electrical characteristics of the output signal including a composite output signal based on the plurality excitation signals.

### Claim 44 (depends on 37)

The method recited in claim 37, wherein receiving the output signal includes receiving the output signal including measurable electrical characteristics corresponding to an overlapping area of the first and second counter electrodes with the upper and lower plates, and the overlapping area extends over the one or more springs.

### Claim 45 (depends on 37)

The method recited in claim 37 comprising moving the center electrode assembly relative to the first and second counter electrodes in one or more dimensions including lateral and normal directions relative to the first and second counter electrodes.

### Claim 46 (depends on 45)

The method recited in claim 45, wherein moving the center electrode assembly includes deflecting the one or more springs extending between the transducer body and the center plate.

### Claim 47 (depends on 46)

The method recited in claim 46, wherein deflecting the one or more springs includes deflecting the one or more springs within spring recesses in one or more of the upper and lower plates.

### Claim 48 (depends on 47)

The method recited in claim 47, wherein deflecting the one or more springs includes maintaining separation between the one or more springs and the upper and lower plates.

### Claim 49 (depends on 37)

The method recited in claim 37 comprising supporting the coupling shaft proximally and distally relative to the capacitor assembly.

### Claim 50 (depends on 49)

The method recited in claim 49, wherein supporting the coupling shaft proximally and distally includes transmitting static null moments to the coupling shaft from proximal and distal support springs, the proximal and distal support springs maintaining the probe tip substantially horizontal relative to an unsupported static position.

### Claim at position 28

51-87. (canceled)