SUPERSENSITIVE LINEAR PRESSURE TRANSDUCER

摘要

Apparatus and methods for a MEMS-fabricated variable capacitor. In one embodiment the capacitor is a comb drive comprising a plurality of plates interdigitated with a corresponding blades. As the plates move relative to the blades, the capacitance of the sensor changes. The capacitor is sufficiently sensitive to measure respiratory pressure in an animal.

主权项

1. A microfabricated variable capacitor, comprising:
a stator including a plurality of electrically conductive plates each spaced apart from one another, each pair of adjacent plates forming a channel therebetween, each of said plates being in a first common electrical communication; and a rotor including a central hub and first and second arms extending in cantilever manner from opposite sides of said hub, a first plurality of electrically conductive blades being coupled to said first arm and a second plurality of electrically conductive blades being coupled to said second arm, each of said first plurality and said second plurality of blades being in a second common electrical communication; wherein said hub is suspended from said stator by first and second springs, such that each of said blades is received within a corresponding one of said channels and a portion of each said blade coacts with an adjacent said plate to store electrical charge, and the capacitance between the first electrical communication and the second electrical communication varies as said first and second springs bias the rotor to different positions relative to said stator.