A device includes a first member and a second member disposed in series along a longitudinal axis. The device also includes links coupling first joints of the first member to second joints of the second member. The first and second members and the links arranged to define a planar parallelogram linkage. The devices also include a resilient element disposed between the first member and the second member, the first member and the second member preloaded against the resilient element. The first member and the second member are preloaded to provide an arrangement of the first and the second joints in which a motion of the first joints with respect to the second joints is constrained to a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. The devices further include a sensor for generating a signal indicating a separation between the first member and the second member.

A polymeric measuring beam comprising a core with a shaped stress concentrator with cylindrical delimiting surfaces and measuring systems or elements thereof located in the area of highest stress and uniformly bonded with the material of the beam the beam core being made of a thermoplastic polymeric or duroplastic polymeric material: thermosetting or chemically curing, is characterized in that the stress concentrator, in the longitudinal section of the beam, has a shape defined by at least one circle or at least one closed curve, symmetric or asymmetric relative to the vertical or horizontal axis of the local coordinate system of the concentrator, the shape of which is limited by two lines imposing the condition of convergence in the direction opposite to the desired stress increase gradient along the axis of the beam, and such shaped stress concentrator may be arranged symmetrically or asymmetrically relative to vertical or horizontal axis of the beam.

A force measurement system includes a plurality of force measurement assemblies arranged in a loop configuration, the plurality of force measurement assemblies configured to be displaced around a continuous path of movement such that a particular one of the plurality of force measurement assemblies that is disposed underneath a subject varies over time. Each of the plurality of force measurement assemblies includes a top surface for receiving at least one portion of the body of the subject; and at least one force transducer, the at least one force transducer configured to sense one or more measured quantities and output one or more signals that are representative of forces and/or moments being applied to the top surface of the force measurement assembly by the subject. The force measurement system may additionally comprise a data processing device operatively coupled to each of the force transducers of each of the force measurement assemblies.

A strain gauge component includes: a strain gauge including an insulator having an insulating property and a resistor disposed on the insulator and having an electric resistance value varying with deformation of a strain body; and a substrate on which the insulator of the strain gauge is disposed, and the substrate is formed of a metal containing aluminum or stainless steel having the same properties as the strain body.

A method for producing a force-measuring element (10) having at least one articulation point (20) which separates one region of the force-measuring element (10) into two connected subregions (11, 12) which can be deflected in relation to one another. The method includes: providing a force-measuring element blank (10), removing material from the force-measuring element blank (10) in order to produce the articulation point (20), checking whether the deflection behavior of the subregions (11, 12) which is produced by the articulation point corresponds to a predefined specification, defining a correction form (30) which can be produced through material removal and compensates for an ascertained deviation from the predefined specification, correcting the articulation point geometry using a laser and the previously defined correction form (30), through material removal at the articulation point.

A stressroll assembly may comprise a first bracket comprising a first load cell. The first load cell may form a first half of a Wheatstone bridge. A first stressroll wheel may be mounted to a first axle extending between a first arm of the first bracket and a second arm of the first bracket. A second bracket may comprise a second load cell. The second load cell may form a second half of the Wheatstone bridge. A second stressroll wheel may be mounted to a second axle extending between a first arm of the second bracket and a second arm of the second bracket.

A wall shear sensor includes a floating element fixedly attached to a base. The floating element has a sensing head opposite the base, and a split-beam flexure between the sensing head and the base. The wall shear sensor further includes at least one strain gauge coupled to the split-beam flexure, which measures strain imposed on a portion of the split-beam flexure when a wall shear is applied across a head surface of the sensing head. The split-beam flexure has at least one channel defined through the split-beam flexure parallel to a first transverse axis of the floating element. The floating element sways perpendicular to the first transverse axis of the floating element when a wall shear is applied across the head surface of the sensing head. Wall shear measurement systems include a test body, a sensor housing mounted to the test body, and a wall shear sensor in the sensor housing.

A load pin configured for measuring a force, the load pin including two sensors spaced apart from each other for measuring stress or tension. An axis includes a lateral surface configured to be subjected to a load from an upside in an area of the axis between the two sensors. A slot divides the axis into a lower portion and an upper portion, the slot extending essentially in an axial direction of the axis.

The present disclosure relates to force sensors and force sensor substrates for use with surgical devices. A force sensor includes a substrate, a plurality of sensing elements, a distal plate, and a pin block assembly. The substrate includes a proximal portion and a distal portion including a proximally-facing surface in fluid communication with a distal surface via an opening extending therebetween. The plurality of sensing elements are mounted on a sensing area of the distal surface of the substrate. The distal plate is welded to the distal surface of the substrate, hermetically sealing the plurality of sensing elements between the distal plate and the distal surface of the substrate. The pin block assembly is welded to the proximally-facing surface of the distal portion of the substrate, hermetically sealing distal ends of a plurality of conductive pins between the pin block assembly and the substrate.

A load cell includes a flexural element in which a Roberval mechanism is formed by a pair of top and bottom parallel beams each including two thin sections at a back and a front in a longitudinal direction, which are integrated with a fixed portion and a movable portion, and strain gauges bonded to the thin sections. Strain gauges are bonded to one of the thin sections of pulling side and to one of the thin sections of compressing side, and circular apertures are formed through the remaining two thin sections. The performances of the load cell such as the reduction of the measurement error and of the period of time before the start of the measurement are achieved.