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Motovilova E, Aronowitz E, Vincent J, Shin J, Tan ET, Robb F, Taracila V, Sneag DB, Dyke JP, Winkler SA. Silicone-based materials with tailored MR relaxation characteristics for use in reduced coil visibility and in tissue-mimicking phantom design. Med Phys 2023. [PMID: 36737839 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of materials with tailored signal intensity in MR imaging is critically important both for the reduction of signal from non-tissue hardware, as well as for the construction of tissue-mimicking phantoms. Silicone-based phantoms are becoming more popular due to their structural stability, stretchability, longer shelf life, and ease of handling, as well as for their application in dynamic imaging of physiology in motion. Moreover, silicone can be also used for the design of stretchable receive radio-frequency (RF) coils. PURPOSE Fabrication of materials with tailored signal intensity for MRI requires knowledge of precise T1 and T2 relaxation times of the materials used. In order to increase the range of possible relaxation times, silicone materials can be doped with gadolinium (Gd). In this work, we aim to systematically evaluate relaxation properties of Gd-doped silicone material at a broad range of Gd concentrations and at three clinically relevant magnetic field strengths (1.5 T, 3 T, and 7 T). We apply the findings for rendering silicone substrates of stretchable receive RF coils less visible in MRI. Moreover, we demonstrate early stage proof-of-concept applicability in tissue-mimicking phantom development. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ten samples of pure and Gd-doped Ecoflex silicone polymer samples were prepared with various Gd volume ratios ranging from 1:5000 to 1:10, and studied using 1.5 T and 3 T clinical and 7 T preclinical scanners. T1 and T2 relaxation times of each sample were derived by fitting the data to Bloch signal intensity equations. A receive coil made from Gd-doped Ecoflex silicone polymer was fabricated and evaluated in vitro at 3 T. RESULTS With the addition of a Gd-based contrast agent, it is possible to significantly change T2 relaxation times of Ecoflex silicone polymer (from 213 ms to 20 ms at 1.5 T; from 135 ms to 17 ms at 3 T; and from 111.4 ms to 17.2 ms at 7 T). T1 relaxation time is less affected by the introduction of the contrast agent (changes from 608 ms to 579 ms; from 802.5 ms to 713 ms at 3 T; from 1276 ms to 979 ms at 7 T). First results also indicate that liver, pancreas, and white matter tissues can potentially be closely mimicked using this phantom preparation technique. Gd-doping reduces the appearance of the silicone-based coil substrate during the MR scan by up to 81%. CONCLUSIONS Gd-based contrast agents can be effectively used to create Ecoflex silicone polymer-based phantoms with tailored T2 relaxation properties. The relative low cost, ease of preparation, stretchability, mechanical stability, and long shelf life of Ecoflex silicone polymer all make it a good candidate for "MR invisible" coil development and bears promise for tissue-mimicking phantom development applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizaveta Motovilova
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Radiology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eric Aronowitz
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - James Shin
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ek Tsoon Tan
- Department of Radiology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Darryl B Sneag
- Department of Radiology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jonathan P Dyke
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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Three-Dimensional Printable Ball Joints with Variable Stiffness for Robotic Applications Based on Soft Pneumatic Elastomer Actuators. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14173542. [PMID: 36080617 PMCID: PMC9460521 DOI: 10.3390/polym14173542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper contributes to a new design of the three-dimensional printable robotic ball joints capable of creating the controllable stiffness linkage between two robot links through pneumatic actuation. The variable stiffness ball joint consists of a soft pneumatic elastomer actuator, a support platform, an inner ball and a socket. The ball joint structure, including the inner ball and the socket, is three-dimensionally printed using polyamide−12 (PA12) by selective laser sintering (SLS) technology as an integral mechanism without the requirement of assembly. The SLS technology can make the ball joint have the advantages of low weight, simple structure, easy to miniaturize and good MRI compatibility. The support platform is designed as a friction-based braking component to increase the stiffness of the ball joint while withstanding the external loads. The soft pneumatic elastomer actuator is responsible for providing the pushing force for the support platform, thereby modulating the frictional force between the inner ball, the socket and the support platform. The most remarkable feature of the proposed variable stiffness design is that the ball joint has ‘zero’ stiffness when no pressurized air is supplied. In the natural state, the inner ball can be freely rotated and twist inside the socket. The proposed ball joint can be quickly stiffened to lock the current position and orientation of the inner ball relative to the socket when the pressurized air is supplied to the soft pneumatic elastomer actuator. The relationship between the stiffness of the ball joint and the input air pressure is investigated in both rotating and twisting directions. The finite element analysis is conducted to optimize the design of the support platform. The stiffness tests are conducted, demonstrating that a significant stiffness enhancement, up to approximately 508.11 N·mm reaction torque in the rotational direction and 571.93 N·mm reaction torque in the twisting direction at the pressure of 400 kPa, can be obtained. Multiple ball joints can be easily assembled to form a variable stiffness structure, in which each ball joint has a relative position and an independent stiffness. Additionally, the degrees of freedom (DOF) of the ball joint can be readily restricted to build the single-DOF or two-DOFs variable stiffness joints for different robotic applications.
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Hatamikia S, Kronreif G, Unger A, Oberoi G, Jaksa L, Unger E, Koschitz S, Gulyas I, Irnstorfer N, Buschmann M, Kettenbach J, Birkfellner W, Lorenz A. 3D printed patient-specific thorax phantom with realistic heterogenous bone radiopacity using filament printer technology. Z Med Phys 2022; 32:438-452. [PMID: 35221154 PMCID: PMC9948829 DOI: 10.1016/j.zemedi.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Current medical imaging phantoms are usually limited by simplified geometry and radiographic skeletal homogeneity, which confines their usage for image quality assessment. In order to fabricate realistic imaging phantoms, replication of the entire tissue morphology and the associated CT numbers, defined as Hounsfield Unit (HU) is required. 3D printing is a promising technology for the production of medical imaging phantoms with accurate anatomical replication. So far, the majority of the imaging phantoms using 3D printing technologies tried to mimic the average HU of soft tissue human organs. One important aspect of the anthropomorphic imaging phantoms is also the replication of realistic radiodensities for bone tissues. In this study, we used filament printing technology to develop a CT-derived 3D printed thorax phantom with realistic bone-equivalent radiodensity using only one single commercially available filament. The generated thorax phantom geometry closely resembles a patient and includes direct manufacturing of bone structures while creating life-like heterogeneity within bone tissues. A HU analysis as well as a physical dimensional comparison were performed in order to evaluate the density and geometry agreement between the proposed phantom and the corresponding CT data. With the achieved density range (-482 to 968 HU) we could successfully mimic the realistic radiodensity of the bone marrow as well as the cortical bone for the ribs, vertebral body and dorsal vertebral column in the thorax skeleton. In addition, considering the large radiodensity range achieved a full thorax imaging phantom mimicking also soft tissues can become feasible. The physical dimensional comparison using both Extrema Analysis and Collision Detection methods confirmed a mean surface overlap of 90% and a mean volumetric overlap of 84,56% between the patient and phantom model. Furthermore, the reproducibility analyses revealed a good geometry and radiodensity duplicability in 24 printed cylinder replicas. Thus, according to our results, the proposed additively manufactured anthropomorphic thorax phantom has the potential to be efficiently used for validation of imaging- and radiation-based procedures in precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Hatamikia
- Austrian Center for Medical Innovation and Technology, Wiener Neustadt, Austria; Danube Private University, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria; Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Gernot Kronreif
- Austrian Center for Medical Innovation and Technology, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
| | - Alexander Unger
- Austrian Center for Medical Innovation and Technology, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
| | - Gunpreet Oberoi
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Laszlo Jaksa
- Austrian Center for Medical Innovation and Technology, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
| | - Ewald Unger
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Koschitz
- Austrian Center for Medical Innovation and Technology, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
| | - Ingo Gulyas
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikolaus Irnstorfer
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy at the Medical University of Vienna
| | - Martin Buschmann
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Joachim Kettenbach
- Institute of Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Landesklinikum Wiener Neustadt, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Birkfellner
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrea Lorenz
- Austrian Center for Medical Innovation and Technology, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
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Driscoll N, Erickson B, Murphy BB, Richardson AG, Robbins G, Apollo NV, Mentzelopoulos G, Mathis T, Hantanasirisakul K, Bagga P, Gullbrand SE, Sergison M, Reddy R, Wolf JA, Chen HI, Lucas TH, Dillingham T, Davis KA, Gogotsi Y, Medaglia JD, Vitale F. MXene-infused bioelectronic interfaces for multiscale electrophysiology and stimulation. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:eabf8629. [PMID: 34550728 PMCID: PMC8722432 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abf8629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Soft bioelectronic interfaces for mapping and modulating excitable networks at high resolution and at large scale can enable paradigm-shifting diagnostics, monitoring, and treatment strategies. Yet, current technologies largely rely on materials and fabrication schemes that are expensive, do not scale, and critically limit the maximum attainable resolution and coverage. Solution processing is a cost-effective manufacturing alternative, but biocompatible conductive inks matching the performance of conventional metals are lacking. Here, we introduce MXtrodes, a class of soft, high-resolution, large-scale bioelectronic interfaces enabled by Ti3C2 MXene (a two-dimensional transition metal carbide nanomaterial) and scalable solution processing. We show that the electrochemical properties of MXtrodes exceed those of conventional materials and do not require conductive gels when used in epidermal electronics. Furthermore, we validate MXtrodes in applications ranging from mapping large-scale neuromuscular networks in humans to cortical neural recording and microstimulation in swine and rodent models. Last, we demonstrate that MXtrodes are compatible with standard clinical neuroimaging modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolette Driscoll
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration, and Restoration, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Brian Erickson
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Brendan B. Murphy
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration, and Restoration, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Andrew G. Richardson
- Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Gregory Robbins
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
| | - Nicholas V. Apollo
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration, and Restoration, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Georgios Mentzelopoulos
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration, and Restoration, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tyler Mathis
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kanit Hantanasirisakul
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Puneet Bagga
- Department of Radiology, Center for Magnetic Resonance and Optical Imaging, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Diagnostic Imaging, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Sarah E. Gullbrand
- Translational Musculoskeletal Research Center, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Matthew Sergison
- Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration, and Restoration, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ravinder Reddy
- Department of Radiology, Center for Magnetic Resonance and Optical Imaging, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John A. Wolf
- Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration, and Restoration, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - H. Isaac Chen
- Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration, and Restoration, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Timothy H. Lucas
- Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Timothy Dillingham
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kathryn A. Davis
- Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yury Gogotsi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John D. Medaglia
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neurology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Flavia Vitale
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration, and Restoration, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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5
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Regis JE, Renteria A, Hall SE, Hassan MS, Marquez C, Lin Y. Recent Trends and Innovation in Additive Manufacturing of Soft Functional Materials. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 14:4521. [PMID: 34443043 PMCID: PMC8399226 DOI: 10.3390/ma14164521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The growing demand for wearable devices, soft robotics, and tissue engineering in recent years has led to an increased effort in the field of soft materials. With the advent of personalized devices, the one-shape-fits-all manufacturing methods may soon no longer be the standard for the rapidly increasing market of soft devices. Recent findings have pushed technology and materials in the area of additive manufacturing (AM) as an alternative fabrication method for soft functional devices, taking geometrical designs and functionality to greater heights. For this reason, this review aims to highlights recent development and advances in AM processable soft materials with self-healing, shape memory, electronic, chromic or any combination of these functional properties. Furthermore, the influence of AM on the mechanical and physical properties on the functionality of these materials is expanded upon. Additionally, advances in soft devices in the fields of soft robotics, biomaterials, sensors, energy harvesters, and optoelectronics are discussed. Lastly, current challenges in AM for soft functional materials and future trends are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Eduardo Regis
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; (A.R.); (S.E.H.); (M.S.H.); (C.M.); (Y.L.)
- W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Anabel Renteria
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; (A.R.); (S.E.H.); (M.S.H.); (C.M.); (Y.L.)
- W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Samuel Ernesto Hall
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; (A.R.); (S.E.H.); (M.S.H.); (C.M.); (Y.L.)
- W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Md Sahid Hassan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; (A.R.); (S.E.H.); (M.S.H.); (C.M.); (Y.L.)
- W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Cory Marquez
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; (A.R.); (S.E.H.); (M.S.H.); (C.M.); (Y.L.)
- W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Yirong Lin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; (A.R.); (S.E.H.); (M.S.H.); (C.M.); (Y.L.)
- W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
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Lu M, Zhang Y, Du H. Design and control of a novel magnetic resonance imaging-compatible breast intervention robot. INT J ADV ROBOT SYST 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/1729881420927853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the most frequent cancers and a major cause of cancer death in women. In this article, the design and control of a novel magnetic resonance imaging-compatible breast intervention robot are proposed. The dimensions and tolerance of the robot system are considered, and a novel pitching mechanism is designed to achieve a dexterous operation in the limited space. The magnetic resonance imaging compatibility of the robot materials is tested. The nonmagnetic structure and compact Cartesian mechanism of the robot allow it to operate safely in a magnetic resonance imaging scanner. According to the robot’s structure, a kinematics analysis based on a coupled motions model is established. The workspace simulation analysis of the robot proves that it is suitable for the whole breast surgery. To control the needle insertion tasks, the overall control system in the form of “personal computer (PC) + single-chip micyoco (SCM)” is designed. Finally, the motion control experiment is carried out, and the robot positioning error is 0.37 mm, which proves that the breast intervention robot and its control system designed in this article can meet the requirements of breast intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyue Lu
- Intelligent Machine Institute, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, China
- Foshan Baikang Robot Technology Co., Ltd., Foshan, China
| | - Yongde Zhang
- Intelligent Machine Institute, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Haiyan Du
- Intelligent Machine Institute, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, China
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7
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Mao G, Drack M, Karami-Mosammam M, Wirthl D, Stockinger T, Schwödiauer R, Kaltenbrunner M. Soft electromagnetic actuators. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabc0251. [PMID: 32637626 PMCID: PMC7319732 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc0251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Rigid electromagnetic actuators serve our society in a myriad of ways for more than 200 years. However, their bulky nature restricts close collaboration with humans. Here, we introduce soft electromagnetic actuators (SEMAs) by replacing solid metal coils with liquid-metal channels embedded in elastomeric shells. We demonstrate human-friendly, simple, stretchable, fast, durable, and programmable centimeter-scale SEMAs that drive a soft shark, interact with everyday objects, or rapidly mix a dye with water. A multicoil flower SEMA with individually controlled petals blooms or closes within tens of milliseconds, and a cubic SEMA performs programmed, arbitrary motion sequences. We develop a numerical model supporting design and opening potential routes toward miniaturization, reduction of power consumption, and increase in mechanical efficiency. SEMAs are electrically controlled shape-morphing systems that are potentially empowering future applications from soft grippers to minimally invasive medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoyong Mao
- Division of Soft Matter Physics, Institute for Experimental Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
- Soft Materials Lab, Linz Institute of Technology, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Michael Drack
- Division of Soft Matter Physics, Institute for Experimental Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
- Soft Materials Lab, Linz Institute of Technology, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Mahya Karami-Mosammam
- Division of Soft Matter Physics, Institute for Experimental Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
- Soft Materials Lab, Linz Institute of Technology, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Daniela Wirthl
- Division of Soft Matter Physics, Institute for Experimental Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
- Soft Materials Lab, Linz Institute of Technology, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Thomas Stockinger
- Division of Soft Matter Physics, Institute for Experimental Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
- Soft Materials Lab, Linz Institute of Technology, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Reinhard Schwödiauer
- Division of Soft Matter Physics, Institute for Experimental Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
- Soft Materials Lab, Linz Institute of Technology, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Martin Kaltenbrunner
- Division of Soft Matter Physics, Institute for Experimental Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
- Soft Materials Lab, Linz Institute of Technology, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
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