A semiconductor-based stress sensor can include a bipolar transistor device with first and second collector terminals. An excitation circuit can provide an excitation signal to an emitter terminal of the bipolar transistor device, and a physical stress indicator for the semiconductor can be provided based on a relationship between signals measured at the collector terminals in response to the excitation signal. The signals can indicate a charge carrier mobility characteristic of the semiconductor, which can be used to provide an indication of physical stress. In an example, the physical stress indicator is based on a current deflection characteristic of a base region of the transistor device.

A force estimation system for calculating force information regarding forces applied to one or more positions of a flexible tubular portion having flexibility through an arithmetic operation, the force estimation system comprising: a processor configured to input the deformation state and the mechanical property at a plurality of longitudinal positions of the flexible tubular portion, and calculates the force information of the force applied to the individual positions of the flexible tubular portion based on the deformed state and the mechanical property.

A micromechanical structure in accordance with various embodiments may include: a substrate; and a functional structure arranged at the substrate; wherein the functional structure includes a functional region which is deflectable with respect to the substrate responsive to a force acting on the functional region; and wherein at least a section of the functional region has an elastic modulus in the range from about 5 GPa to about 70 GPa.

A system for measuring a deformation of a structure configured to be installed on an aircraft includes deformation sensor means configured to be associated with the structure and to assume an electrical resistance value indicative of the deformation of the structure and having two short-circuited electrical connection terminals to recreate a closed circuit, magnetic field excitation means having a laser generator and configured to generate a magnetic field concatenated with the closed circuit to generate an induced current, electromagnetic radiation, transmission means having an antenna and configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation, value of the electromagnetic radiation being a function of the electrical resistance of the deformation sensor means, electromagnetic radiation receiving means having an antenna and configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation transmitted by the electromagnetic radiation transmission means, and control means for determining the deformation of the structure as a function of the value of electromagnetic radiation received.

An elongate medical device may comprise an elongate tubular body, an electrode, and a trace. The elongate tubular body may comprise a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, the body defining a longitudinal axis. The electrode may comprise electrically-conductive ink extending circumferentially about a portion of the distal end portion. The trace may comprise electrically-conductive ink, electrically coupled with the electrode, extending proximally from the electrode.

The disclosure relates to a linear actuator including a base, a linear motor, a load cell and a rotary motor. The linear motor is disposed on the base and includes a fixed coil module and a movable magnetic backplane. The fixed coil module is fixed on the base, and the movable magnetic backplane is configured to slide relative to the fixed coil module along a first direction. The rotary motor is rotated around a central axis in parallel with the first direction. The load cell has two opposite sides parallel to the first direction, respectively. The movable magnetic backplane of the linear motor and the rotary motor are connected to the two opposite sides of the load cell, respectively. The load cell is subjected to a force applied thereto by the rotary motor and parallel to the first direction, and configured to convert the force into an electrical signal.

The present invention is a system and method using a hand-mounted force sensor to verify installation of a CPA-enabled electrical connector. The system has at least one CPA-enabled electrical connector with a locking button; at least one hand-mounted force sensor; an interface board; a transmission channel; a system processor; a non-transitory computer readable memory element; a display; and an input. The hand-mounted force sensors have an electrical output that is proportional to the force. The method is accomplished with the steps of mounting at least one force sensor so that it will record the force exerted when depressing a locking button of a CPA-enabled electrical connector; depressing the locking button; measuring the force; recording the force; comparing the force to a pre-determined threshold; passing the CPA-enabled electrical connector if the force was less than the pre-determined threshold and otherwise failing it.

Disclosed are devices and systems designed to assist an examiner in assessing the level of pain sensitivity in a patient, along with methods of using of the devices and/or systems. The device contains a tip for applying pressure to a point of the patient's body; a pressure sensor used to measure the pressure; a displacement sensor used to measure the depth of probing; and an optional third sensor used to measure temperature. The device can therefore simultaneously measure the pressure applied by the probe and the distance travelled by the tip of said probe (i.e. the displacement achieved). The device can be included in a system, which receives the data from the aforementioned sensors, and the patient's perceived pain value on a scale of 1-10. These values can be analyzed over time (i.e. over multiple applications of the device) to permit the examiner to use the data obtained to assess potential changes in the level of pain or discomfort and/or amount of healing of the patient.

A module, including at least one first component in the form of a semiconductor component including multiple stress measuring cells situated in a distributed manner for detecting stress measured values at different measuring positions of the semiconductor component, at least one second component which is mechanically coupled to the semiconductor component, and an evaluation unit, which is designed to ascertain at least one location-dependent stress distribution in the semiconductor component based on the stress measured values detected at one measuring point in time, and to ascertain a deformation state of the at least one second component at the measuring point in time on the basis of the at least one ascertained location-dependent stress distribution in the semiconductor component. A corresponding method for monitoring environmental influences on a module is also described.

A method for measuring interfacial stress and residual stress in multilayer thin films coated on a substrate is disclosed. First of all, a residual stress measurement process is applied to each thin film of a multi-layered structure. Subsequently, after two kinds of interfacial stress (F.sub.HL, F.sub.LH) are calculated, a mathematical formula for estimating at least one adjusting parameter is derived based on the two interfacial stresses. As a result, a modified Ennos formula is obtained by involving the adjusting parameters into the Ennos formula, such that a residual stress in the multi-layered structure (i.e., multilayer thin films) is therefore calculated by using the modified Ennos formula.