Importance

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Abstract

Thin, planar sensors for measuring forces exerted by mattresses or chair pads on a patient's body include a central conductive elastomeric pad movable in a horizontal plane into more or less intimate contact with flexible peripheral conductors adjacent the central pad, thus varying electrical conductivity between the central pad and peripheral conductors by a surface piezoresistive effect proportional to the magnitude and direction of horizontal shear forces exerted on the pad. The preferred embodiment comprises a matrix area array of thin, square central conductive elastomeric pads, each surrounded by four square peripheral conductive elastomeric pads forming a close pack tiling arrangement that utilizes inner peripheral conductors in the array to function as one of the peripheral conductors for two or three nearest-neighbor sensors. In one embodiment of the invention, a sensor having a thin, flat layer formed of a non-conductive elastomeric polymer matrix filled with electrically conductive particles is sensitive to pressure or normal forces exerted on the sensor, such forces reducing the volume of the layer and therefore its electrical resistance, by a bulk on volume piezoresistive effect.

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First Claim