Jennifer Guernsey May 26, 2011:

LOL! Okay, no wonder I had no clue what it stood for!

Alex Marshall May 26, 2011:

RNS is a fellow proz.com member

Jennifer Guernsey May 26, 2011:

Alex, pardon my ignorance...what's RNS?

Judith Hehir (asker) May 26, 2011:

You guys are... GREAT! Thanks!

Alex Marshall May 26, 2011:

Thanks, Jennifer. I see that the general consensus leans toward "sensor", so I rest my case. Sorry for having played the devil's advocate... I was swayed most by input from RNS, as is often the case.

Jennifer Guernsey May 26, 2011:

But FWIW, Alex, they do use "transducer" when they are talking about medical sonogram equipment, so it's not unheard of in regards to medical equipment.

Jennifer Guernsey May 26, 2011:

Hi Alex and everyone, I just wanted to clarify that I am not at all suggesting that "transducer" is appropriate for this context - in fact, I specifically think it is NOT appropriate for this context (which is why I didn't propose it as an answer). It's just that Judith seemed to be trying to get a general sense of the word, so I thought that might help.

rns May 26, 2011:

As shown in [1], the probe is the whole instrument, of which the sensor is a measuring component.

In the immediate context, "(измерительная призма)", "датчик" is the sensor.

[1] The probe is placed adjacent to the central cornea (see gallery) and the integrated piezoresistive pressure sensor automatically begins to acquire data, measuring IOP 100 times per second.
— http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonometry

Alex Marshall May 26, 2011:

Judith, With all due respect, I suggest you think twice before you use a sensor or transducer. They just don't feel right. I have seen transducers used in aircraft and complex machinery only. Meanwhile, sensors are generally fixed in place and respond to different impacts... I have a pretty strong feeling you are dealing with a probe. The kind that touches the cornea during the test you are describing. The more I read on the subject, the more I feel it is in fact a probe. You could also consult the customer... Anyhow, it's getting late. Signing off.

Judith Hehir (asker) May 26, 2011:

Thank you, Boris and Jennifer I appreciate your input!

boostrer May 26, 2011:

Датчик means transducer (see Jennifer's entry) (I.e., sensor (сенсор, чувствительный элемент)-transducer (датчик)-main system); however, this word is often (incorrectly) applied to sensors. Your context supports "sensor" option.

Jennifer Guernsey May 26, 2011:

I don't think you will find a single English word that is the equivalent of датчик. If you read through all the possibilities on Multitran, you can get a sense of it, but which English word to use is highly context-dependent. Probably the most generic would be "sensor".

Judith Hehir (asker) May 26, 2011:

Additional question from asker: Transducer and tonometer are the terms I think would best fit (in a forward translation). This, however, is a back translation, so I am specifically looking for the meaning of датчик.

Jennifer Guernsey May 26, 2011:

Just FYI - I most often encounter this term in the context of sonograms, in which case it's a transducer. I think of a датчик as the sensor thing that picks up information and then sends it to the main apparatus.

Alex Marshall May 25, 2011:

tonometer probe Also google a "tonometer probe"

boostrer May 25, 2011:

Oops I didn't notice your entry. Submit your answer; I'll delete mine.

interprivate May 25, 2011:

I guess it is "sensor" in your case.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6994672.html
//To boostrer: No problem, it is ok.