Strain Measurement Devices, Inc.

Research Diets, Inc.

Daniel E Shapiro

Frederick E Jackson

Barrie Hopewell

Edward A Ulman

Nathan B Price

Dominic Sarica

Neal Wostbrock

Eduard Krutyanskiy

Chris Bowman

William Easlea

A weldable strain sensor assembly configured to be joined to an instrumented component includes: a stand-off; a substrate disposed on top of the stand-off; and a sensing component disposed on a top or a bottom of the substrate; wherein the combination of the stand-off and the substrate are configured to suspend the sensing component over the instrumented component with a defined gap between the instrumented component and at least one of: the substrate; and, the sensing component.

Weldable strain sensor assembly

A strain gauge includes: a substrate; a dielectric layer on the substrate; a thin film electrical circuit on the dielectric layer and having input/output terminals; another layer disposed on the electrical circuit; the dielectric layer forming a first seal on one side of the electrical circuit, the another layer forming a second seal on a second side of the electrical circuit, the first and second seals having structure such that: in a first instance prior to exposure of the strain gauge to an autoclave cycle, the electrical circuit is productive of a first output voltage in response to a first input voltage; and in a second instance subsequent to exposure of the strain gauge to at least 10 autoclave cycles, the electrical circuit is productive of a second output voltage in response to a second input voltage, the first and second input voltages being equal, and the first and second output voltages being equal within a 15% shift in zero offset.

Thin film strain gauge

A strain gauge includes: a substrate; a dielectric layer on the substrate; a thin film electrical circuit on the dielectric layer and having input/output terminals; other layers disposed on the electrical circuit; the dielectric layer forming a first seal on one side of the electrical circuit, the other layers forming a second seal on a second side of the electrical circuit, the first and second seals having structure such that: in a first instance prior to exposure of the strain gauge to an autoclave cycle, the electrical circuit is productive of a first output voltage in response to a first input voltage; and in a second instance subsequent to exposure of the strain gauge to at least 25 autoclave cycles, the electrical circuit is productive of a second output voltage in response to a second input voltage, the first and second input voltages being equal, and the first and second output voltages being equal.

A differential pressure sensor positioned adjacent a pressure chambers separated by a nozzle. Flow in a conduit is determined by detecting the pressure on either side of a nozzle. Changes in pressure are proportional to a change in flow. An integrated differential pressure sensor having different pressure detecting portions with strain gauges thereon detects differences in deflection of each pressure sensor portion resulting from change in fluid flow. A bridge circuit detects changes in the signals from the two different pressure sensor portions creating a differential which is proportional to a change in liquid flow. The present invention reduces the need for calibration of pressure sensors and improves the detection of fluid flow. The invention can detect small changes in fluid flow and is particularly applicable to the medical field where, small fluid flows must be measured or determined accurately.

Eccentric load sensing device used to sense differential pressures

An integrated fluid sensor combining bubble and occlusion detection. A housing having a channel with three sides holds a tube containing a fluid flow. An ultrasonic transmitter and ultrasonic receiver retain the tube on two opposing sides. Placed between the two opposing sides is a third side containing a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor contacting the surface of the tube detects changes of pressure within the tube due to changes in fluid flow so as to detect occlusions. The restraining of the tube between the opposing ultrasonic transmitter and ultrasonic receiver confine the tube so that a resulting increase in pressure is detected by the pressure sensor. A reduction in the size of devices for detecting fluid flow or bubbles is made possible.

Integrated detector for detecting bubbles in fluid flow and occlusions in a tube

A differential pressure sensor positioned adjacent a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber separated by a nozzle. Flow in a conduit is determined by detecting the pressure on either side of a nozzle. Changes in pressure are proportional to a change in flow. An integrated differential pressure sensor having different pressure detecting portions with strain gauges thereon detects differences in deflection of each pressure sensor portion resulting from change in fluid flow. A bridge circuit detects changes in the signals from the two different pressure sensor portions creating a differential which is proportional to a change in liquid flow. The present invention reduces the need for calibration of pressure sensors and improves the detection of fluid flow. The present invention has many applications and can detect small changes in fluid flow and is particularly applicable to the medical field where in many procedures, small fluid flows must be measured or determined accurately.

An animal feeder has a hopper for storing pieces of food. The bottom of the hopper has an opening accessible by an animal. The opening is smaller than a piece of food, but large enough for the animal to gnaw the food through the opening. The hopper has a surface adjacent the opening, to receive fallen gnawed food and hold the fallen gnawed food in a position accessible by the animal for eating. The hopper engages a mounting bracket. The bracket has a lip which partially covers the receiving surface of the hopper to physically limit the animal from leaning on the hopper and to prevent the hopper from tipping back so far that it falls off the conical mount. A conical mount transmits a downward force from the conical bottom surface to a sensor, but does not transmit an upward force or moment to the sensor.

Animal feeder, feeder mount, feeder monitor, and feeder monitoring network

An animal feeder has a hopper for storing pieces of food. The bottom of the hopper has an opening accessible by an animal. The opening is smaller than a piece of food, but large enough for the animal to gnaw the food through the opening. The hopper has a surface adjacent the opening, to receive fallen gnawed food and hold the fallen gnawed food in a position accessible by the animal for eating. The hopper engages a mounting bracket. The bracket is directly attachable to the animal's cage. The bracket has a lip which partially covers the receiving surface of the hopper to physically limit the animal from leaning on the hopper and to prevent the hopper from tipping back so far that it falls off the conical mount. A conical bottom surface is attached to the hopper. The conical bottom surface seats on a conical mount. The conical mount transmits a downward force from the conical bottom surface to a sensor, but does not transmit an upward force or moment to the sensor. The average weight of the hopper and the variance or standard deviation of the sensor output signal are calculated by an embedded processor, based on the output of the sensor. The beginning and end of a feeding are determined based on the standard deviation. The amount of the food consumed by the animal during the feeding is calculated. Each feeder has a respective gate. The animal can access food when the gate is open, but not when the gate is closed. A plurality of actuators automatically open and close each gate in response to control signals. A plurality of animals, each in an individual cage with a separate hopper, are simultaneously monitored and data are periodically accessed by a host computer.

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Branford, CT, United States of America

Daniel E Shapiro