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US 7,509,869 B2Granted
Microfabricated pressure and shear stress sensors
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorsChang Liu, Jack Chen, Jonathan Engel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microfabricated pressure sensor. The pressure sensor comprises a raised diaphragm disposed on a substrate. The diaphragm is configured to bend in response to an applied pressure difference. A strain gauge of a conductive material is coupled to a surface of the raised diaphragm and to at least one of the substrate and a piece rigidly connected to the substrate.
Claims18
A microfabricated pressure sensor comprising:
- a polymer film providing a raised diaphragm, the raised diaphragm being disposed on a flexible polymer substrate, said diaphragm being configured to bend in response to an applied pressure difference;
- a strain gauge of a conductive material coupled to a surface of the raised diaphragm and to at least one of the substrate and a piece rigidly connected to the substrate.
A microfabricated shear stress sensor comprising:
- a polymer film providing a raised membrane, the raised membrane being disposed on a flexible polymer substrate;
- a heated hot-wire element disposed on a surface of the membrane for sensing fluid stress.
A fluid flow sensing device comprising:
- an array of sensor nodes disposed on a flexible polymer substrate, each of the sensor nodes comprising at least one microfabricated pressure sensor and at least one microfabricated shear stress sensor;
- wherein each of the at least one microfabricated pressure sensor comprises a first polymer film providing a raised diaphragm, the raised diaphragm being disposed on the flexible polymer substrate, said raised diaphragm being configured to bend in response to an applied pressure difference, and a strain gauge of a conductive material coupled to a surface of the raised diaphragm and to at least one of the substrate and a piece rigidly connected to the substrate;
- wherein each of the at least one microfabricated shear stress sensor comprises a second polymer film providing a raised membrane, the raised membrane being disposed on the flexible polymer substrate, and a heated hot-wire element disposed on a surface of the membrane for sensing fluid stress.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.