J. S. Bashkin, J. Heim, Artificial Muscle, Inc., Menlo Park, CA; H. Prahlad, R. Kornbluh, R. Pelrine, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA; J. Elefteriades, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
A new class of actuators and sensors based on dielectric elastomer films is now commercially available from Artificial Muscle, Inc., enabling a wide array of innovative medical devices. These actuators, using the Electroactive Polymer Artificial MuscleTM (EPAMTM) technology developed at SRI International, are compact, lightweight, and silent, power efficient, and thermally cool during operation. The technology is based on the application of an electric field across an elastomeric film, and the resultant mechanical deformation of the film in response to the electric field gradient. This capacitive effect is efficient in converting the electrostatic potential energy into mechanical work. The EPAM actuators offer optimum performance for a number of specifications over ranges complementary to traditional electromagnetic, piezo, or shape memory alloy actuators and so expand the design possibilities for many medical device applications including infusion pumps, proportional valves, prosthetics, haptic devices, and surgical tools. Current products from AMI will be described as well as an advanced research program at SRI on the application of EPAM to an implantable artificial diaphragm muscle for patients with high spinal chord injuries and dipahragm paralysis.
Summary: Electroactive polymer artificial muscle (EPAMTM) actuators and sensors have been developed over the past decade and have been successfully demonstrated at a research level for a variety of applications. Artificial Muscle, Inc. has now commercialized the technology and realized performance improvements from implementation of process controls and fabrication automation. Actuators based on the EPAM technology are lightweight, silent during operation, power efficient, and generate negligible heat. The actuators are based on compliant polymer films and so an array of form factors is possible. This talk will discuss the advantages of EPAM actuators and sensors as relevant to medical device applications and also discuss a longer term research effort at SRI International to develop EPAM for implantable medical device applications as exemplified by an artificial diaphragm muscle for patients with phrenic nerve or diaphragm paralysis.
