|
Artificial Muscles
The patented composite artificial muscles to be used in correcting the
refractive errors of the eye, depending on the suitability of such scleral band implant applications,
are either
passive bands with appropriate locking buckle to allow the
ophthalmologist micro-surgeon to create enough tension in the band to
correct vision impairment or
inflatable tubing that allow tension control by injection of
bio-compatible fluids such as a gas or a saline solution, or active bands such as resilient composite shape memory alloy
(SMA)-silicone (SM-S) rubber explants in the form
of endless active scleral bands, electroactive ionic polymeric artificial muscle
structures such as ionic polymer conductor composites (IPCC's) and ionic
polymer metal composites (IPMC's) and ionic polymeric gels, electrochemically
contractile endless bands of ionic polymers such as PAN artificial muscles, thermally
contractile or expansive liquid crystal elastomer artificial muscle structures,
electromagnetically deployable structures such as endless solenoids or other endless
deployable structures equipped with smart materials such as piezocerams, piezopolymers,
electroactive and eletrostrictive polymers, magnetostrictive materials, and electro or
magnetorheological materials.
The following patents will form the basic core of the above technologies :
First World patents issued on Ionic Polymeric and SMA Artificial Muscles :
1-D. Adolf, M. Shahinpoor, D. Segalman and W. Witkowski, “Electrically Controlled
Polymeric Gel Actuators," US Patent Office No. 5, 250,
167, Issued October (1993), The World's first patent on ionic
polymeric gel actuators and sensors
2-M. Shahinpoor, "Spring-Loaded Ionic Polymeric Gel Actuator,", US Patent
Office No. 5,389,222, Issued February 14, (1995)
3-M. Shahinpoor, " Fibrous Parallel Spring-Loaded Shape Memory Alloy Robotic Linear
Actuators, US Patent Office No. 5,821,664, Issued October 13, 1998
4-M. Shahinpoor, and Mojarrad, M., ” Soft Actuators and Artificial Muscles”,
US Patent Office No. 6,109, 852, issued 08/29/2000.
5-M. Shahinpoor, and Mojarrad,
M., "Ionic Polymer Sensors and
Actuators" , US Patent Office, No. 6,
475,639,
Issued November 5, 2002.
6-M. Shahinpoor, and K.J. Kim, "Metal Hydride Artificial Muscles", US
Patent Office, No. 6,405,532, Issued June 18,
(2002)
7-Mohsen Shahinpoor, David Soltanpour and Parsa Shahinpoor, "Surgical Correction of
Human Eye Refractive Errors by Active Composite Artificial Muscle Implants",
US
Patent Office Patent No. 6,511,508, Issued January 28th., 2003
8-Mohsen Shahinpoor, David Soltanpour and Parsa Shahinpoor, "Surgical Correction of
Human Eye Refractive Errors by Active Composite Artificial Muscle Implants",
US
Patent Office Application Serial Number 09/633,023, , International Patent
Cooperation Treatise PCT Application
No. 2323-00-PCT filed, dated 8/4/2000, CIP application
submitted (December 2002), continuation and extension of claims of the US
Patent No. 6,511,508B1, awaiting publication
Another product is an an artificial muscles based implantable diaphragm micropump for Glaucoma, Hydrocephalus and Drug-Delivery systems. These micropumps operate under a very small voltage (less than a volt) and are scalable to larger (macro) or smaller (micro or nano) sizes for a variety of medical and micro-fluidics applications. An operational micro-pump of dimensions 5mmx10mmx2mm is depicted below:
The following patents will form the basic core of the above micropump technologies:
1-David Soltanpour, "Method and Apparatus For
Controlling Intraocular Pressure", United States Patent 6,168,575.
Issued January 2, 2001
2-David Soltanpour and Mohsen Shahinpoor, "Implantable Micro-Pump
Assembly", United States Patent 6,589,198, July 8, 2003
3-David Soltanpour and Mohsen Shahinpoor,"Synthetic
Muscle Based Diaphragm Pump Apparatuses", United States Patent 6,682,500,
January 27, 2004
ENJOY THE FOLLOWING VIDEO CLIPS ON ARTIFICIAL MUSCLES:
1.Robotic Shovel Muscle
2.Waving Robotic Muscle
3.Flying Pair of Robotic
Wing Muscle-1
4.Toy Robotic Muscle
5.Flying Pair of Robotic
Wing Muscle-2
6.Looping Robotic Muscle
7.A robotic
micro-gripper made with IPMC artificial muscles
8.World's smallest pair
of five-fingered robotic hand made with IPMC artificial muscles
9.Robotic Muscle for
Skeletal Joint Motion
10.Enjoy the amazing
dance of this twisting, whirling, twirling, rolling muscle
|