A method for cleaning a receptor layer of a surface stress sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes, in a surface stress sensor that detects a change in surface stress of a thin film, the change being caused by a receptor layer disposed on a surface of the thin film, causing at least a part of a surface region of the thin film to generate heat or supplying heat to the receptor layer from the outside of the surface stress sensor. This makes it possible to easily perform efficient cleaning of a surface stress sensor such as a sensor that performs detection using a piezoresistor while avoiding structural complications as much as possible.

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.

A method for installing a sensor on a component is provided. The method includes attaching the sensor to a surface of the component. The method includes covering the sensor using a metal wire. The method includes applying a multilayer coating on the metal wire. Applying the multilayer coating includes applying a first coating. The first coating is capable of being machined. Applying the multilayer coating includes machining the first coating and applying a second coating over the first coating. The second coating is a ceramic oxide and the second coating is configured to serve as a thermal and dielectric barrier. Applying the multilayer coating also includes applying a third coating over the second coating. The third coating is configured to provide erosion resistance.

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 strain gauge includes a flexible substrate; a functional layer formed of a metal, an alloy, or a metal compound, on one surface of the substrate; a resistor formed of material including at least one from among chromium and nickel, on one surface of the functional layer; and an insulating resin layer with which the resistor is coated.

A drive unit for providing drive from a robot arm to an instrument comprises a plurality of drive elements for engaging corresponding elements of the instrument, and a load cell structure. Each drive element is movable along a drive axis and the drive axes of each of the drive elements are substantially parallel to each other. The load cell structure includes a plurality of deflectable bodies coupled to the drive elements for sensing load on the drive elements parallel to their drive axes, and a frame. The frame includes an integral member supporting the deflectable bodies in such a way as to isolate each deflectable body from the load applied to the or each other deflectable body.

A force measurement system is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the system includes a force measurement assembly configured to receive a subject; a data processing device operatively coupled to the force measurement assembly, the data processing device configured to determine a center of pressure for the subject using output forces and/or moments from the force measurement assembly; and a mobile device configured to determine one or more parameters indicative of the body sway for the subject. In this embodiment, a fall risk of the subject is assessed based upon a combination of the center of pressure and the one or more parameters indicative of the body sway determined for the subject.

It is disclosed a stretchable touchpad (10) of the capacitive type including a stretchable textile fabric (20) having a plurality of conductive elements incorporated therein. The conductive elements are resistive strain gauges (30, 40) which form electrodes to detect a change of capacitance caused by a touch. It is also disclosed a method for operating a stretchable touchpad (10) comprising the steps of measuring continuously a capacitance analog signal provided by a resistive strain gauge (30, 40) of the stretchable touchpad (10); and comparing the measured capacitance signal with a threshold value in order to determine whether or not a touch has taken place, wherein the threshold value is continuously adjusted as a function of the actual measurement of capacitance and as a function of the resistance of said resistive strain gauges (30, 40) which form the capacitor electrodes of said touchpad (10).

Provided is a temperature-pressure complex sensor with an anti-radiation property including a first sensing material which is a porous conductive film, and second sensing materials which are dispersedly disposed on a surface of the first sensing material. The second sensing materials may include a conductive structure having a two-dimensional crystal structure, and nanoparticles having a radiation shielding property which are disposed between crystal layers of the conductive structure.