Patent ID: 9691966
Date: 2017-06-27
CPC Classifications: A61B,G01L,H01L

Claim:
1. A collision detection arrangement, comprising: an apparatus assembly of a medical apparatus, said apparatus assembly comprising at least one rigid surface that, when said apparatus assembly is moving in an environment in which at least one animate or inanimate object is present, is susceptible to collision with said object; a resilient material, said resilient material having a first material surface in direct surface-to-surface touching contact with said at least one rigid surface over substantially an entirety of said at least one rigid surface, and a second material surface opposite said first material surface; a single, uninterrupted polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) cover assembly in direct contact with said resilient material and covering substantially an entirety of said resilient material and said at least one surface; said PVDF cover assembly comprising a PVDF foil having a first side, and a second side opposite said first side, and a first conductive layer between said first side of said PVDF foil and said resilient material, and a second conductive layer on said second side of said PVDF foil, said first conductive layer having a layer surface in direct surface-to-surface touching contact with said second material surface over substantially an entirety of said resilient material; a first electrical lead connected to said first conductive layer and a second electrical lead connected to said second conductive layer, said PVDF foil being piezoelectric and, when subjected to a force associated with said collision applied anywhere over the entirety of said at least one rigid surface of said apparatus assembly, producing a voltage across said first and second electrical leads; and a pierce-resistant protective layer having an interior surface covering substantially an entirety of said second conductive layer and having an exterior surface at which said collision and said force occur, thereby placing said pierce-resistance protective layer between said collision and said at least one rigid surface.