1
|
Gu J, Zhou Z, Xie Y, Zhu X, Huang G, Zhang Z. A Microactuator Array Based on Ionic Electroactive Artificial Muscles for Cell Mechanical Stimulation. Biomimetics (Basel) 2024; 9:281. [PMID: 38786491 PMCID: PMC11117532 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics9050281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Mechanical stimulation is prevalent within organisms, and appropriate regulation of such stimulation can significantly enhance cellular functions. Consequently, the in vitro construction and simulation of mechanical stimulation have emerged as a research hotspot in biomechanics. In recent years, a class of artificial muscles named electroactive polymers (EAPs), especially ionic EAPs, have shown promising applications in biomechanics. While several techniques utilizing ionic EAPs for cell mechanical stimulation have been reported, further research is needed to advance and enhance their practical applications. Here, we prepared a microactuator array based on ionic EAP artificial muscles for cell mechanical stimulation. As a preliminary effort, we created a 5 × 5 microactuator array on a supporting membrane by employing laser cutting. We evaluated the electro-actuation performance of the microactuators through experimental testing and numerical simulations, affirming the potential use of the microactuator array for cell mechanical stimulation. The devised approach could inspire innovative design concepts in the development of miniaturized intelligent electronic devices, not only in biomechanics and biomimetics but also in other related fields.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Gu
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (J.G.); (Z.Z.); (Y.X.)
| | - Zixing Zhou
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (J.G.); (Z.Z.); (Y.X.)
| | - Yang Xie
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (J.G.); (Z.Z.); (Y.X.)
| | - Xiaobin Zhu
- Department of Spine Surgery and Musculoskeletal Tumor, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China;
| | - Guoyou Huang
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (J.G.); (Z.Z.); (Y.X.)
| | - Zuoqi Zhang
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (J.G.); (Z.Z.); (Y.X.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Salinas G, Malacarne F, Bonetti G, Cirilli R, Benincori T, Arnaboldi S, Kuhn A. Wireless electromechanical enantio-responsive valves. Chirality 2023; 35:110-117. [PMID: 36513396 DOI: 10.1002/chir.23521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidic valves based on chemically responsive materials have gained considerable attention in recent years. Herein, a wireless enantio-responsive valve triggered by bipolar electrochemistry combined with chiral recognition is reported. A conducting polymer actuator functionalized with the enantiomers of an inherently chiral oligomer was used as bipolar valve to cover a tube loaded with a dye and immersed in a solution containing chiral analytes. When an electric field is applied, the designed actuator shows a reversible cantilever-type deflection, allowing the release of the dye from the reservoir. The tube can be opened and closed by simply switching the polarity of the system. Qualitative results show the successful release of the colorant, driven by chirality and redox reactions occurring at the bipolar valve. The device works well even in the presence of chemically different chiral analytes in the same solution. These systems open up new possibilities in the field of microfluidics, including also controlled drug delivery applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo Salinas
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, ISM UMR 5255, Pessac, France
| | | | - Giorgia Bonetti
- Dip. di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Univ. degli Studi dell'Insubria, Como, Italy
| | - Roberto Cirilli
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Centro Nazionale per il Controllo e la Valutazione dei Farmaci, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Benincori
- Dip. di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Univ. degli Studi dell'Insubria, Como, Italy
| | | | - Alexander Kuhn
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, ISM UMR 5255, Pessac, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Liu G, Lu Y, Zhang F, Liu Q. Electronically powered drug delivery devices: considerations and challenges. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2022; 19:1636-1649. [PMID: 36305080 DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2022.2141709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Electronically powered drug delivery devices enable a controlled drug release route for a more convenient and painless way with reduced side effects. The current advances in microfabrication and microelectronics have facilitated miniaturization and intelligence with the integration of sensors and wireless communication modules. These devices have become an essential component of commercialized on-demand drug delivery. AREAS COVERED This review aims to provide a concise overview of current progress in electronically powered drug devices, focusing on delivery strategies, manufacturing techniques, and control circuit design with specific examples. EXPERT OPINION The application of electronically powered drug delivery systems is now considered a feasible therapeutic approach with improved drug release efficiency and increased patient comfort. It is anticipated that these technologies will gradually fulfill clinical needs and resolve commercialization challenges in the future. This review discusses the current advances in electronic drug delivery devices, especially focusing on designing strategies to achieve an effective drug release, as well as the perspectives and challenges for future applications in clinical therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guang Liu
- Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Yanli Lu
- Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Fenni Zhang
- Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Qingjun Liu
- Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lee JH, Chee PS, Lim EH, Tan CH. Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Throat Sensor Using Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite (IPMC) Material. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13183041. [PMID: 34577942 PMCID: PMC8473105 DOI: 10.3390/polym13183041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Throat sensing has received increasing demands in recent years, especially for oropharyngeal treatment applications. The conventional videofluoroscopy (VFS) approach is limited by either exposing the patient to radiation or incurring expensive costs on sophisticated equipment as well as well-trained speech-language pathologists. Here, we propose a smart and non-invasive throat sensor that can be fabricated using an ionic polymer–metal composite (IPMC) material. Through the cation’s movement inside the IPMC material, the sensor can detect muscle movement at the throat using a self-generated signal. We have further improved the output responses of the sensor by coating it with a corrosive-resistant gold material. A support vector machine algorithm is used to train the sensor in recognizing the pattern of the throat movements, with a high accuracy of 95%. Our proposed throat sensor has revealed its potential to be used as a promising solution for smart healthcare devices, which can benefit many practical applications such as human–machine interactions, sports training, and rehabilitation.
Collapse
|
5
|
Compact organic liquid dielectric resonator antenna for air pressure sensing using soft material. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14907. [PMID: 32913321 PMCID: PMC7483734 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72021-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
For the first time, a flexible and deformable liquid dielectric resonator antenna (LDRA) is proposed for air pressure sensing. The proposed LDRA can be made very compact as it has employed liquidized organic dielectric with high dielectric constant (~ 33) with low loss tangent (~ 0.05). Here, a soft elastomer container has been fabricated using soft-lithography method for holding the liquid, and an air cavity is tactfully embedded into the central part of a cylindrical DRA to form an annular structure that can be used for sensing air pressure. It will be shown that the inclusion of the air cavity is essential for making the antenna structure sensitive to pressure changes. Simulations and experiments have been conducted to verify the functionalities of the proposed organic LDRA as microwave radiator and as air pressure sensor. It has been proven to have higher antenna gain than the water LDRA in the frequency range of 1.8–2.8 GHz, while achieving a good air pressure sensitivity of 270 MHz/bar.
Collapse
|
6
|
Abstract
With ever-increasing concerns on health and environmental safety, there is a fast-growing interest in new technologies for medical devices and applications. Particularly, wireless power transfer (WPT) technology provides reliable and convenient power charging for implant medical devices without additional surgery. For those WPT medical systems, the width of the human body restricts the charging distance, while the specific absorption rate (SAR) standard limits the intensity of the electromagnetic field. In order to develop a high-efficient charging strategy for medical implants, the key factors of transmission distance, coil structure, resonant frequency, etc. are paid special attention. In this paper, a comprehensive overview of near-field WPT technologies in medical devices is presented and discussed. Also, future development is discussed for the prediction of different devices when embedded in various locations of the human body. Moreover, the key issues including power transfer efficiency and output power are addressed and analyzed. All concerning characteristics of WPT links for medical usage are elaborated and discussed. Thus, this review provides an in-depth investigation and the whole map for WPT technologies applied in medical applications.
Collapse
|
7
|
Yang L, Zhang D, Zhang X, Tian A. Fabrication and Actuation of Cu-Ionic Polymer Metal Composite. Polymers (Basel) 2020; 12:E460. [PMID: 32079142 PMCID: PMC7077653 DOI: 10.3390/polym12020460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, Cu-Ionic polymer metal composites (Cu-IPMC) were fabricated using the electroless plating method. The properties of Cu-IPMC in terms of morphology, water loss rate, adhesive force, surface resistance, displacements, and tip forces were evaluated under direct current voltage. In order to understand the relationship between lengths and actuation properties, we developed two static models of displacements and tip forces. The deposited Cu layer is uniform and smooth and contains about 90% by weight of copper, according to the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis data obtained. The electrodes adhere well (level of 5B) on the membrane, to ensure a better conductivity and improve the actuation performance. The penetration depth of needle-like electrodes can reach up to around 70 μm, and the structure shows concise without complex branches, to speed up the actuation. Overall the maximum displacement increased as the voltage increased. The applied voltage for the maximum force output is 8-9 V. The root mean square error (RMSE) and determination coefficient (DC) of the displacement and force models are 1.66 and 1.23, 0.96 and 0.86, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liang Yang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China; (L.Y.); (X.Z.)
| | - Dongsheng Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China; (L.Y.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xining Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China; (L.Y.); (X.Z.)
| | - Aifen Tian
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China;
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Han Y, Wang F, Li H, Meng E, Fang S, Zhao A, Guo D. Sulfonic SiO 2 nanocolloid doped perfluorosulfonic acid films with enhanced water uptake and inner channel for IPMC actuators. RSC Adv 2019; 9:42450-42458. [PMID: 35542853 PMCID: PMC9076654 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra07488k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This study provides a facile and effective strategy to fabricate sulfonic SiO2 nanocolloid (HSO3-SiO2) doped perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) films with enhanced water uptake and inner channel for high-performance and cost-effective ionic exchange polymer metal composite (IPMC) actuators. A commercial precursor of mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane was hydrolyzed to form thiol functionalized SiO2 nanocolloids (SH-SiO2, ∼25 nm in diameter), which were further oxidized into sulfonic SiO2 nanocolloids (HSO3-SiO2, ∼14 nm in diameter). Both SiO2 nanocolloids were used as additives to dope PFSA film for fabricating IPMC-used matrix films. Due to difference of compatibility, the SH-SiO2 nanocolloids take phase separation in the cocrystallization course, and aggregate into huge, regular spherical particles with a mean diameter of ∼690 μm; while the HSO3-SiO2 nanocolloids are completely compatible with PFSA, forming a very homogeneous hybrid matrix film. Related physiochemical investigations by analytical tools revealed that, the resultant HSO3-SiO2 hybrid film shows better IPMC-related properties compared to the SH-SiO2 hybrid film: 1.59 folds in water uptake, and 2.37 folds in ion exchanging capacity, thus contains an increased number of cations and possesses larger and better interconnected inner channels for IPMC bending. Consequently, the HSO3-SiO2 hybrid IPMC actuator exhibits remarkably higher levels of actuation behaviours such as higher force output, higher displacement output, and longer stable working time, which could be used as a valuable artificial muscle for flexible actuators or displacement/vibration sensors at low cost.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yubing Han
- State Laboratory of Surface & Interface, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry Zhengzhou 450002 China
| | - Fang Wang
- State Laboratory of Surface & Interface, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry Zhengzhou 450002 China
| | - Hongkai Li
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Nanjing China 210016
| | - Erchao Meng
- State Laboratory of Surface & Interface, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry Zhengzhou 450002 China
| | - Shaoming Fang
- State Laboratory of Surface & Interface, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry Zhengzhou 450002 China
| | - Ansha Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, SWJTU Chengdu China 610036
| | - Dongjie Guo
- State Laboratory of Surface & Interface, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry Zhengzhou 450002 China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Wang J, Wang Y, Zhu Z, Wang J, He Q, Luo M. The Effects of Dimensions on the Deformation Sensing Performance of Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites. SENSORS 2019; 19:s19092104. [PMID: 31067676 PMCID: PMC6539605 DOI: 10.3390/s19092104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
As an excellent transducer, ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) can act as both an actuator and a sensor. During its sensing process, many factors, such as the water content, the cation type, the surface electrode, and the dimensions of the IPMC sample, have a considerable impact on the IPMC sensing performance. In this paper, the effect of dimensions focused on the Pd-Au typed IPMC samples with various thicknesses, widths, and lengths that were fabricated and their deformation sensing performances were tested and estimated using a self-made electromechanical sensing platform. In our experiments, we employed a two-sensing mode (both current and voltage) to record the signals generated by the IPMC bending. By comparison, it was found that the response trend was closer to the applied deformation curve using the voltage-sensing mode. The following conclusions were obtained. As the thickness increased, IPMC exhibited a better deformation-sensing performance. The thickness of the sample changed from 50 μm to 500 μm and corresponded to a voltage response signal from 0.3 to 1.6 mV. On the contrary, as the length increased, the sensing performance of IPMC decreased when subjected to equal bending. The width displayed a weaker effect on the sensing response. In order to obtain a stronger sensing response, a thickness increase, together with a length reduction, of the IPMC sample is a feasible way. Also, a simplified static model was proposed to successfully explain the sensing properties of IPMC with various sizes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiale Wang
- School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Changzhou Campus, Changzhou 213022, China.
| | - Yanjie Wang
- School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Changzhou Campus, Changzhou 213022, China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Special Robot Technology, Hohai University, Changzhou 213022, China.
| | - Zicai Zhu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Jiahui Wang
- School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Changzhou Campus, Changzhou 213022, China.
| | - Qingsong He
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Bionic Functional Materials, Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China.
| | - Minzhou Luo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Special Robot Technology, Hohai University, Changzhou 213022, China.
| |
Collapse
|