Low impedance, high current pressure transducer

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for determining the internal pressure of a fluid conduit in line with which the apparatus is inserted. Fluids transported through the conduit are caused to pass through a thin-walled inner tubular member which expands and contracts in response to increases and decreases in fluid pressure. Surrounding the thin-walled conduit is a layer of piezo-conductive material which is in turn surrounded by a snugly fitting, relatively inelastic outer tube. Pressure inside the thin-walled inner conduit causes the piezo-conductive material to be compressed between the thin-walled conduit and the outer inelastic tube thereby producing a change in the conductance of the piezo-conductive material. A conductance analog of pressure is thereby produced between electrodes attached to the thin-walled inner conduit and the inelastic outer tube. The device may be rendered in very high current, low conductance forms for use in direct modulation of high current circuits.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.