G01B3/205

Surgical depth instrument having neuromonitoring capabilities

A device configured to provide a faster and more accurate measurement of depths of holes for placement of bone screws and fastener for bone implant fixation procedures. The device includes a combination of a bone probe for physical examination of a hole drilled in a bone and a depth gauge member for determining a depth of the hole and providing digital measurement of the depth via a display on the instrument and/or via a wireless exchange of measurement data to a remote computing device, such as a tablet or smartphone. The device may further be connected to a separate neuromonitoring device and be used for nerve sensing and/or nerve stimulation by way of the bone probe. For example, the bone probe may include a conductive material such that the distal probe tip acts as an extension of the neuromonitoring device and may be used to sense and/or stimulate nerves.

TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER CONFIGURATION FOR INDUCTIVE POSITION ENCODER
20210293582 · 2021-09-23 ·

An electronic position encoder includes a scale and detector. The detector includes a field generating coil (FGC) having elongated portion configurations (EPCs) bounding a generated field area (GFA) aligned with sensing elements in a sensing area, to provide position signals responsive to the scale interacting with the generated field. Sensing elements and EPCs are fabricated in “front” layers of the detector portion. The EPCs include end gradient arrangements (EGAs) configured to reduce field strength in the generated field area as a function of position along the x-axis direction for positions approaching the end of the GFA. A shielded transverse conductor portion (TCP) fabricated in a “rear” layer connects the EPCs and/or EGAs of the FGC via feedthroughs. A conductive shield region (CSR) configuration in a CSR layer between the front and rear layers intercepts at least a majority of a projection of the TCP toward the front layers.

Probe unit and measuring system

In a probe unit having a measuring probe, a signal processing circuit includes: a signal synthesizing portion configured to process an output of a detection element to output a composite signal obtained by synthesizing displacement components of a contact part in three directions perpendicular to one another; and a signal outputting portion configured to output a digital touch signal to the outside of the probe unit when the composite signal satisfies a predetermined threshold condition. The signal outputting portion includes three comparing portions each configured to compare a threshold condition with the composite signal. When the measuring probe measures the object to be measured, the signal outputting portion outputs the digital touch signal corresponding to outputs of the first and second comparing portions. Thus, there can be provided a probe unit and a measuring system that can stably make measurements with high accuracy while keeping high noise resistance.

Thread inspection systems and methods

A screw thread measurement system and methods may comprise a frame having a reference surface, a carrier coupled to the frame and configured to translate relative to the frame, a dimension measurement system coupled to the carrier and having a thread contact element configured to translate relative to the frame and orthogonally the translation axis of the carrier. The dimension measurement system configured to determine thread dimensions relative to the frame reference surface.

Method for controlling small-sized measurement device
10996043 · 2021-05-04 · ·

There is provided a method for controlling a small-sized adjustable measuring force measurement device capable of appropriately setting the origin. A central control unit changes an operation mode to an origin setting mode in response to predetermined mode changing operation. The central control unit sets a counter value of an encoder to zero as an origin when a measuring force detecting means detects that a movable member is brought into contact with an object to be measured at a predetermined pressure in the origin setting mode.

ENCODER AND DETECTION HEAD OF ENCODER

An object is to respectively excite transmission coils with different voltages using a single power supply with low power consumption in an electromagnetic induction type encoder.

A detection head of an encoder includes a voltage adjustment circuit and a plurality of excitation circuits. The excitation circuit includes a resonant circuit that includes a driving capacitor and a transmission coil connected in series and generates an alternate-current magnetic field inducing currents in scale coils disposed in a plurality of scale tracks on a scale by connecting both ends of the resonant circuit in a state in which the driving capacitor is charged. The voltage adjustment circuit includes a first transformer capacitor and controls a charging voltage of the driving capacitor in a single excitation circuit using the charged first transformer capacitor.

Inductive sensor device
10928223 · 2021-02-23 · ·

An inductive sensor device (23) having a scale unit (24) and a sensor unit (25) that can be moved relative to each other in a measuring direction (M) is described. The scale unit contains scale elements (26) that are adapted to create a field pattern (P(x)) in measuring direction (M) that is detected by means of a receive circuit (35) of the sensor unit (25). The receive circuit (35) contains at least a first receive coil set (36) and a second receive coil set (37) that are offset in measuring direction (M). In so doing a first spatial phase and a second spatial phase receive signal is provided by these receive coil sets (36, 37) respectively. These spatial phases can be used for absolute position determination.

PIPE DIMENSIONAL MEASUREMENT TOOL
20210055093 · 2021-02-25 ·

A tool for determining variations in outer diameter of a pipe. The tool may have a pair of contact arms configured for engaging with opposing sides of a pipe. The contact arms may be biased toward one another, and at least one of the arms may be configured to slide toward and away from the other. As the contact arms are moved along an outer surface of a pipe, a distance between the arms may change in response to variations in outer diameter of the pipe. A plunger gauge may be arranged on one of the contact arms with its plunger directed toward the other arm. The plunger may extend or depress in response to a decreased or increased distance between the contact arms. An alignment shoe may align the contact arms with at least X and Z axes of the pipe so as to help ensure accurate pipe measurements.

Smart scale ruler
10955232 · 2021-03-23 ·

Smart Scale Ruler is an electronic architect's scale having a triangular shaped ruler body. The Smart Scale Ruler has a changeable electronic display for displaying a custom or the desired scale of any unit of length, for a document or plan. A set of depressible buttons function as the inputs for the value of the reference point a user wishes to base the custom scale off of, as well as different settings for the device, in order to display the correct scale on the electronic display.

Length measuring apparatus
11852469 · 2023-12-26 · ·

A length measuring apparatus for use in combination with a cutting device having a cutting blade to measure length of a workpiece cut by the cutting blade comprises a slide rail which is secured relative to the cutting device when length is measured; and a sliding unit that is slidably mounted to the slide rail, the sliding unit having a sliding body, a length measuring unit that measures distance along which the sliding body slides relative to the slide rail, and an arm member that comes in contact with the workpiece when the workpiece is placed at a cutting position; wherein the sliding unit further comprises an angle gauge member, mounted at that tip portion of the arm member which comes in contact with the workpiece, that comes in contact with the cutting blade and measures a cutting angle of the cutting blade.