A resistance adjustment circuit has a plurality of conductive patterns placed in parallel to one another on a flat surface formed from an insulating body so as to extend in a first direction, and also has a resistive element that spans two conductive patterns and is electrically connected to the conductive patterns at superimposing parts superimposed on the conductive patterns. A plurality of resistive elements are provided so as to be spaced in the first direction and are connected in parallel to one another across the two conductive patterns. Part of the conductive patterns can be selectively cut between the superimposing parts of resistive elements disposed adjacently. The combined resistance of the resistance adjustment circuit can be adjusted by reducing parallel connections of resistive elements or combining parallel connections of resistive elements with their series connections.

A pressure/force sensor comprises a diaphragm structure including a sensing element and a lead structure extending from the diaphragm structure and including first and second traces electrically coupled to the sensing element. The diaphragm structure and the lead structure include a circuit assembly comprising a common insulating layer and a common conductor layer on the insulating layer. The conductor layer includes at least a portion of the sensing element and at least the first trace. In embodiments the sensing element includes electrodes. In other embodiments the sensing element includes a strain gauge.

For measuring tensile and/or compressive loads force measuring systems are provided for measuring a tensile and/or compressive load of a structure have a first force measuring sensor assigned to the structure, and a second force measuring sensor assigned to the structure. To provide a force measuring system that enables high measuring accuracy, the first and the second force measuring sensor differ in such a way, that the first force measuring sensor is designed to measure a nominal load range, and the second force measuring sensor is designed to measure a sub-range of the nominal load range.

A strain-responsive sensor incorporating a strain-sensitive element is disclosed. The strain-sensitive element includes a matched-pair of resistive structures disposed on opposite sides of a substrate. One resistive structure of the matched pair is coupled to a crossover, either a physical crossover or a soft crossover, such that current within the resistive structures of the matched pair flows in the same direction.

A pressure/force sensor comprises a diaphragm structure including a sensing element and a lead structure extending from the diaphragm structure and including first and second traces electrically coupled to the sensing element. The diaphragm structure and the lead structure include a circuit assembly comprising a common insulating layer and a common conductor layer on the insulating layer. The conductor layer includes at least a portion of the sensing element and at least the first trace.

A controller configured for monitoring disturbances of a pressure sensor assembly includes at least two sensors. The at least two sensors are configured for measuring a pressure and wherein the at least two sensors have a sensor dependent measurement sensitivity for the pressure, and at least one of the sensors is sensitive for a disturbance with a sensor dependent disturbance sensitivity. A ratio of the measurement sensitivity and the disturbance sensitivity is different for the at least two sensors. The controller is configured for detecting the disturbance by comparing outputs of the at least two sensors.

In a Force/Torque sensor employing strain gages, a hardware temperature compensation procedure substantially eliminates thermal drift of a plurality of load-sensing strain gages with changes in temperature, using trimming resistors and a single, unstressed strain gage. The strain gages are connected in a quarter-bridge configuration, in multiple parallel stages. An unstressed strain gage in quarter-bridge configuration is connected in parallel. Trimming resistors are added across one or more of the unstressed and load-sensing strain gages in a compensation procedure that substantially eliminates thermal drift of the load-sensing strain gages over a predefined temperature range.

Provided is a strain sensor unit that enables inhibition of a positional deviation of a strain sensor. The strain sensor unit includes: a substrate that is stretchable; at least one strip-shaped or string-shaped strain sensor that is arranged on the substrate along a direction of stretching and contracting of the substrate; and a deformation restraining member that is arranged in proximity to longitudinal end portions of the at least one strain sensor respectively, to extend in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the strain sensor, and restrains deformation of the substrate.

The present disclosure relates to force sensors and force sensor substrates for use with surgical devices.

A pressure transducer is disclosed that includes an absolute pressure sensor assembly, a differential pressure sensor assembly, a main pressure port in communication with the absolute pressure sensor assembly and the differential pressure sensor assembly, a reference pressure port in communication with the differential pressure sensor assembly, and a compensation circuit in communication with the absolute pressure sensor assembly and the differential pressure sensor assembly. The compensation circuit is configured to reduce an error in an output of the differential pressure sensor assembly (due to absolute pressure) by at least a portion of an output received from the absolute pressure sensor assembly.