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WO1996001601A1 - Muscle artificiel alimente par la lumiere - Google Patents

Muscle artificiel alimente par la lumiere Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1996001601A1
WO1996001601A1 PCT/US1994/007632 US9407632W WO9601601A1 WO 1996001601 A1 WO1996001601 A1 WO 1996001601A1 US 9407632 W US9407632 W US 9407632W WO 9601601 A1 WO9601601 A1 WO 9601601A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
visible light
wavelength
gel
fiber
dye solution
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US1994/007632
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Albert Zirino
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Gel Sciences Inc
Original Assignee
Gel Sciences Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to US07/936,681 priority Critical patent/US5334629A/en
Priority claimed from US07/936,681 external-priority patent/US5334629A/en
Application filed by Gel Sciences Inc filed Critical Gel Sciences Inc
Priority to PCT/US1994/007632 priority patent/WO1996001601A1/fr
Publication of WO1996001601A1 publication Critical patent/WO1996001601A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/02—Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating
    • G02B6/032—Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating with non solid core or cladding
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
    • A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
    • A61F2/08—Muscles; Tendons; Ligaments
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
    • A61F2/50—Prostheses not implantable in the body
    • A61F2/54—Artificial arms or hands or parts thereof
    • A61F2/58—Elbows; Wrists ; Other joints; Hands
    • A61F2/583—Hands; Wrist joints
    • A61F2/588—Hands having holding devices shaped differently from human fingers, e.g. claws, hooks, tubes
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
    • A61F2/50—Prostheses not implantable in the body
    • A61F2/68—Operating or control means
    • A61F2/74—Operating or control means fluid, i.e. hydraulic or pneumatic
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/02—Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating
    • G02B6/02033—Core or cladding made from organic material, e.g. polymeric material
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
    • A61F2/50—Prostheses not implantable in the body
    • A61F2/68—Operating or control means
    • A61F2/70—Operating or control means electrical
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
    • A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
    • A61F2/08—Muscles; Tendons; Ligaments
    • A61F2002/0894—Muscles
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
    • A61F2/50—Prostheses not implantable in the body
    • A61F2/68—Operating or control means
    • A61F2/70—Operating or control means electrical
    • A61F2002/704—Operating or control means electrical computer-controlled, e.g. robotic control
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F2250/00—Special features of prostheses classified in groups A61F2/00 - A61F2/26 or A61F2/82 or A61F9/00 or A61F11/00 or subgroups thereof
    • A61F2250/0001—Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants

Definitions

  • Synthetic (plastic) fibers which contract and expand upon stimulation with acid, heat, electrical current and light have been known for some time, see the article by Y. Osada, entitled “Conversion of Chemical into Mechanical Energy by Synthetic Polymers,” Adv. in Poly . Sci. 82. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 1987.
  • a good mimic of the human or animal muscle by a natural or synthetic fiber has been difficult to obtain since there has been no way to distribute the muscle-activating energy quickly to the fibers to enable responsive motion.
  • the present invention is directed to providing an apparatus for and method of radiation-actuation of a polyelectrolyte fiber or gel.
  • a pH-dependent dye solution is responsive to discrete incident radiation to change its pH.
  • a polyelectrolyte fiber or gel disposed in the pH-dependent dye solution has the property of changing its volume in response to pH changes in the pH-dependent dye solution.
  • a source of discrete incident electromagnetic radiation is oriented to direct the discrete incident electromagnetic radiation on the pH-dependent dye solution and polyelectrolyte fiber or gel to effect a change in pH in the pH- dependent dye solution and a consequent change of volume in the polyelectrolyte gel.
  • An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for and a method of selective electromagnetic radiation actuation of a polyelectrolyte fiber or gel.
  • An object is to provide an apparatus for and a method of selective electromagnetic radiation actuation of a polyelectrolyte fiber or gel that minimizes heat production.
  • Another object to provide an apparatus for and a method of selective actuation of a polyelectrolyte fiber or gel by discrete wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation to cause a responsive expansion and/or contraction thereof.
  • Yet another object is to provide an apparatus for and a method of a responsive polyelectrolyte fiber actuation that changes the pH of a pH-dependent dye solution by select wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation.
  • Another object is to provide an apparatus for and a method of fiber actuation by select wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation that changes the pH of a pH- dependent dye solution to responsibly and reversibly contract or expand substantially all of an immersed polyelectrolyte fiber simultaneously.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for and a method of the selective expansion and contraction of a polyelectrolyte fiber by impinging select wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation that avoids the need for adding acid or base solutions.
  • Another object is to provide an apparatus for and a method of a substantially delay-free actuation of a natural or synthetic polyelectrolyte fiber by impinging select wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation to avoid the need for a diffusion of hydrogen or hydroxide ions in individual fiber sites.
  • Another object is to provide actuators of both great strength and tactile sensitivity to enable the fabrication of working robots or prosthetic devices.
  • a polyelectrolyte fiber such as a polyvinyl alcohol- poly-acrylic acid (PVA-PAA) fiber
  • PVA-PAA polyvinyl alcohol- poly-acrylic acid
  • a pH-dependent dye solution such as a 10- 3 M Bromocresol Green solution
  • Figure 2 represents an application of a light-powered fiber or gel muscle to provide a solar powered pump that is useful for the conversion of fresh water from seawater.
  • Figure 3 shows muscle pods actuated by optical fibers to articulate a claw-like device.
  • Figures 4 and 5 show extended and contracted muscle pods. Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring now to the graph of Figure 1 of the drawings, a polyelectrolyte fiber, or when hydrated, polyelectrolyte gel, such as cross-linked poly-acrylic acid (PAA-PAA) , when placed in an aqueous solution or saline solution containing a pH-dependent dye such as Bromocresol Green, responsively deflects, or changes volume as select wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, such as light (yellow and/or green) impinge upon it.
  • PAA-PAA cross-linked poly-acrylic acid
  • the polyelectrolyte fiber inherently has the property of changing its length or volume in response to changes of the pH of the solution in which it is immersed.
  • the pH-dependent dye solution inherently has the property of changing its pH in response to select wavelengths of impinging electromagnetic radiation.
  • a suitable pH-dependent dye which changes its pH in response to impinging light and radiating it with impinging electromagnetic radiation of select wavelengths, responsive actuation of the fiber results.
  • a condition for the fiber that is termed as a null point A appears on the steep portion of its response curve. This null point A occurs at about a pH of 5.3 for this particular polyelectrolyte fiber.
  • Bromocresol Green for instance, is yellow at pH 2 and is blue-green at pH 6.6.
  • a suitable poly-electrolytic gel or fiber such as polyvinyl alcohol-poly-acrylic acid (PVA-PAA) to appropriately contract. Terminating the radiance causes the fiber to extend to its original dimension. Under acid conditions illumination of the solution containing the fiber with a blue light would shift the pH to a lower value to effect an extension of the fiber.
  • pKa is the negative logarithm of the acid dissociation constant and is represented by
  • K diss [H + ] (A-) / [HA] where H + is the hydrogen ion concentration and A " is the concentration of the conjugate base.
  • Activation with a single wavelength may be achieved, for example, if the pH of the solution is lightly buffered with common chemical buffering agents to be slightly either to the left or right of the null point of the chosen fiber.
  • Typical chemical buffering agents that may be selected are acidic acid/acetate, phosphoric acid/phosphate and boric acid/borate. With these agents, the pH of the solution around the fiber may be set to any pH value between 4 and 10.
  • the pH-dependent dye is added.
  • the appropriate dye is chosen to have a good optical absorption band in the selected pH region.
  • the buffered-pH solution is irradiated with the right electromagnetic wavelength.
  • the fiber responsibly changes volume (contracts or expands) , as the case may be.
  • a light barrier may be placed in the optical path between a light source and the solution to allow the fiber to return to its former state.
  • the activation light may be reintroduced in the manner described herein.
  • a spring might be added to aid in the restoration of the system.
  • Addition of chemical buffering agents assures that the pH of the solution can be custom-adjusted to suit the chosen fiber.
  • a particular pH-indicator dye needs to have only one absorption band, e.g., a wavelength absorption band on the "driving" side of the fiber; the other side of a rotatable bracket, to be described below, can be opaque. As a consequence, the system is inherently simpler.
  • the "muscle” can be made to contract and expand autonomously using solar energy, thereby driving a pump for a reverse osmosis system.
  • the beauty of such a system is that few mechanical parts are required.
  • the muscle can be made to contract with yellow light and expand with blue light or to relax with no light. The reaction will be in a sufficient time frame to be effective.
  • a plate, evenly divided in yellow and blue windows, is placed between sunlight and the muscle. As the muscle contracts with the yellow light it pushes water through a one-way valve. The motion of the muscle also rotates the disc.
  • a representative operational embodiment may take the form of a solar operated pump 10 for desalination by reverse osmosis or to pump water to a solar distillation unit or to a solar heater, etc.
  • the solar powered pump has an elongate cylinder 15 closed at opposite ends by a pair of caps 16 and 17. At least one clear window portion 18 is provided which is transparent to predetermined wavelengths of light or other suitable incident electromagnetic radiation.
  • a piston 20, appropriately sized and sealed about its periphery, is fitted within cylinder 15 to permit axial, bidirectional longitudinal travel therein and to define a pair of internal chambers 15a and 15b.
  • the piston could be a flexible wall secured about its periphery to the inside of cylinder 15 and having a sufficient resiliency for a responsive flexure to effect the pumping action to be described.
  • a pair of one-way valves 25 and 26 are provided on elongate cylinder 15 to assure the selective flow of a fluid, such as seawater for example, from an inlet duct 27 into internal chamber 15a and from internal chamber 15a to an outlet duct 28.
  • a displacement of piston 20 to the right causes check valve 25 to close and check valve 26 to open to draw seawater from inlet duct 27 into chamber 15a.
  • Displacement of piston 20 to the left closes check valve 26 and opens check valve 25 to force at least part of the seawater in chamber 15a through outlet duct 28.
  • this pumping device may be used to feed seawater to a reverse osmosis unit, a solar heater or a wide variety of fluid utilization systems.
  • a secondary cylinder 35 is located near elongate cylinder 15 and is hydraulically coupled to internal chamber 15b via a feeder duct 36.
  • the feeder duct permits the exchange of the pH- dependent dye to and from internal chamber 15b and secondary cylinder 35 through a passageway 36' that penetrates the wall of the elongate cylinder.
  • a slave piston 37 is fitted within secondary cylinder 35 to permit axial, bidirectional longitudinal displacement therein. The axial, bidirectional longitudinal displacement of the slave piston is in response to ducted volumes of the pH-dependent dye which pass through feeder duct 36 from internal chamber 15b as piston 20 is reciprocally displaced.
  • An elongate push rod 38 from slave piston 37 is pinned 39' to slotted lever 39.
  • the lever also is rotatably coupled via pin 39" to a disc 40 journaled in an appropriate support 41 that may be mounted on elongate cylinder 15.
  • Longitudinal displacement of the push rod effects a rotation of disc and a suitable beveled gear arrangement 45 translates the rotational motion of disc 40 into an orthogonally-oriented rotary displacement of an interconnected plate or disc-shaped bracket 46.
  • Slotted lever 39 is depicted in Figure 2 to provide for a lost motion of the push rod so that a delayed rotation of the associated structure, to be described, will occur. This allows the push rod to turn the beveled gear arrangement and its associated disc-shaped bracket 46 principally at the top and the bottom of a stroke.
  • the push rod may have a cam-shape to impart a selective non-uniform or exponential displacement of the disc-shaped bracket. Such a displacement may be preferred to change the positioning of the filters to create a more gradual or to a more abrupt transition of the select wavelengths.
  • the disc is a gear directly coupled to a rack on the push rod via mating teeth to displace the bracket rotationally uniformly as the piston moves.
  • Bracket 46 is configured to provide at least a pair of appropriately shaped windows 46a which may be a semicircular wedge-shape to provide a support for optical filters 50 and 51.
  • the optical filters may be suitably colored plastic or glass, to assure that the electromagnetic radiation emitted from a source 55, such as the sun, is filtered to transmit at least the discrete wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation necessary to effect the desired pH changes in pH-dependent dye solution 60 that fills internal chamber 15b.
  • optical filters 50 and 51 are a yellow filter and a blue filter, respectively, to cause the desired pH changes.
  • the pH-dependent dye solution fills the volume beneath window 18 to receive the appropriate electromagnetic radiation.
  • Polyelectrolyte fibers or gel 65 such as polyvinyl alcohol-poly-acrylic acid (PVA-PAA) , are immersed in pH- dependent dye solution 60 to receive electromagnetic radiation through clear window 18 and appropriately disposed or appropriately coupled by bonding or tying to transfer force to piston 20 and cap 15.
  • the fibers may be simply tied with suitable knots to appropriate appendages provided on the piston and the wall, although other suitable means of affixing the fibers will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.
  • the electromagnetic radiation source may be the sun, although any other suitable light sources or electromagnetic radiation sources can be provided as appropriate in a given pH-dependent dye solution or situation.
  • the selective radiations from a host of laser sources can be drawn upon for appropriate actuation and powering of this inventive concept if a designer so elects.
  • a particular application may call for a more directed and/or selective actuation of fibers and gel such as by using appropriately disposed optical fibers to channel the radiation to more completely derive the benefits of this inventive concept.
  • electromagnetic radiation from the source impinges on the filters, other light may be absorbed and a predetermined light passes through.
  • the yellow filter and the blue filter in window 50 and 51 transform impinging sunlight into either yellow or blue light.
  • a tensile or compressive force spring 30 may be included to aid in a displacement of piston 20 one way or the other.
  • Different polyelectrolyte gels or fibers may prove to be more efficient or workable when a suitable spring is utilized to displace piston 20.
  • a different configuration in accordance with this inventive concept provides an additional polyelectrolyte gel or fiber which is immersed in a pH-dependent dye solution in internal chamber 15a and is connected between cap 16 and piston 20.
  • a clear window portion would also be included on this other side of the piston 20 to pass the appropriate wavelengths of actuating electromagnetic radiation.
  • the polyelectrolyte gel or fiber on both sides of piston would expand and contract responsibly in an alternate fashion to additively transfer their tensile and pushing forces to piston 20.
  • the piston could be connected to a push rod, not shown, that extends through cap 16 to displace a slidably sealed follower-piston that functions as a mover in a pump which operates in much the same manner as outlined above.
  • FIG. 3 another embodiment of this inventive concept is as a fiber optic-controlled manipulator or claw 70 provided with a number of pinned articulated segments 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 and 76.
  • a fiber optic-controlled manipulator or claw 70 provided with a number of pinned articulated segments 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 and 76.
  • Separate ones or discrete groups of fiber optic cables 77a, 77b, 77c, 77d and 77e are interwoven or otherwise disposed within a polymeric gel (the "muscle") contained in and secured at opposite ends to opposite parts of an inner wall of individual flexible sacs or pods 78a, 78b, 78c, 78d and 78e which are filled with an appropriate pH- dependent dye solution.
  • the pods are connected to adjacent pinned segments of the claw on the outside wall of individual flexible sacs or pods at a location at or near the opposite parts by suitable means, such as an adhesive.
  • the necessary light radiation or other suitable electromagnetic radiation is provided by an appropriate source 80, such as lasers for example.
  • the source emits the light or radiations of various wavelengths and intensities to the optical fibers as needed to affect the pH of the pH-dependent dye solution.
  • the optical fibers may have a configuration and, perhaps, changed surface properties to bend the radiations away from the core of the fiber at each pod to thereby direct and dissipate the radiations throughout each pod to substantially, uniformly effect the pH changes in the solution.
  • a computer 90 or other suitable controller is suitably programmed by one skilled in the art to provide a desired switching sequence.
  • This switching sequence selectably couples the radiations from source 80 to different ones of the optical fiber cables which transmit the radiations to discrete flexible pods.
  • the selective coupling of the radiations to the pods gives a really fine muscular control and actuation of the claw.
  • this fine muscular control is attributed to the fact that the appropriate radiations transmitted to each pod by optical fibers or fiber optic cables 77' affect the pH-dependent dye 60' .
  • This causes the immersed polyelectrolyte fibers (or gel) 65' secured at opposite ends to the inner wall of a pod 68' to expand as shown by expanded pod 78' or contract as shown by a contracted pod 78" in Figure 5.
  • the internal volume of each pod stays essentially the same.
  • a feedback mechanism is associated with the computer by which the computer knows or provides an indication of exactly how much to change the energy and wavelengths of the radiations going through each optical fiber.
  • This mechanism may be based on muscle force or size of the muscle, etc. using appropriate sensors 95, 95', (e.g., piezoelectric), attached to the pods or otherwise suitably located on the articulated segments.
  • sensors 95, 95' e.g., piezoelectric
  • a visual observation could be relied upon to allow a manual command of the computer or light source for control purposes. Actuators of both great strength and tactile sensitivity are within the capabilities of this inventive concept to fabricate working robots or prosthetic devices.
  • polyelectrolyte fibers or when hydrated, polyelectrolyte gels may be chosen by one skilled in the art for selective light actuation and powering in accordance with this inventive concept.
  • this inventive concept can utilize all polyelectrolyte gels which respond to pH changes by significantly changing their volume.
  • the greater the optical transmittance of the gel the more likely that the incident radiant energy will be transmitted to changes of pH rather than heat.
  • polyelectrolyte fibers or when hydrated, polyelectrolyte gels may be made from polymethacrylic acid, polymerized isopropylacrylamide, polyviny alcohol-polyacrylic acid (PVA-PAA) , polyvinyl alcohol-polyacrylic acid-polyallylamine or protein polyelectrolytes (e.g. collagen) .
  • PVA-PAA polyviny alcohol-polyacrylic acid
  • protein polyelectrolytes e.g. collagen
  • United States Patent No. 4,732,930 entitled "Reversible Discontinuous Volume Changes of Ionized Isopropylacrylamide Cells" by Toyoichi Tanaka et al. also identifies suitable gels.
  • These typical polyelectrolyte fiber substances, (or gels), listed herein are for the purpose of demonstration only and are not to be construed as limiting.
  • pH-dependent dyes may be chosen by one skilled in the art for selective light actuation and powering in accordance with this inventive concept.
  • this inventive concept can utilize dyes in solution which change pH for all portions of the practical pH range (1-13) .
  • the best dye is the one with an acid dissociation constant (pKa) which coincides with the null point of the polyelectrolyte fiber.
  • pKa acid dissociation constant
  • the following pH indicators may be selected by one skilled in the art for appropriate pH-dependent dye solutions in accordance with this inventive concept.
  • Tetrabromophenol- sulfonphthalein (Bromocresol Green) 3.0 - 4.6 4.10 436 - 592 Dimethylaminoazoben- zene-p-sulfonate 3.1 - 4.4 3.46 522 - 464
  • Thymolsul ⁇ fonphthalein 8.0 - 9.6 9.20 430 - 596
  • a main advantage of this technique is that the actuating and powering electromagnetic radiation, such as light, changes the pH of the solution immediately and reversibly around the fiber. This causes every segment of the fiber to contract at substantially the same time.
  • the need to add acid or base solutions is avoided and there are no delays due to the diffusion of hydrogen or hydroxide ion to the individual fiber sites.
  • an acid or base solution otherwise would have to be added to the fiber which is very slow and cumbersome.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Transplantation (AREA)
  • Vascular Medicine (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Cardiology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Orthopedic Medicine & Surgery (AREA)
  • Rehabilitation Therapy (AREA)
  • Rheumatology (AREA)
  • Radiation-Therapy Devices (AREA)

Abstract

On place une fibre ou un gel en polyélectrolyte transparent (65) tel qu'un acide polyacrylique réticulé, qui se contracte ou se dilate lors de l'addition d'un acide ou d'une base à une solution d'un milieu aqueux, dans la même solution avec un colorant (60) dépendant du pH, un colorant indicateur photochromatique coloré. Le colorant (60) a de préférence une valeur de pAa qui est identique au pH au point de contraction nulle de la fibre (65). En éclairant la solution avec une lumière (55) d'une longueur d'onde correspondant à la bande d'absorption de la forme acide ou de la forme basique du colorant (60), on provoque un changement du pH de la solution et la fibre (65) se dilate ou se contracte, selon la longueur d'onde. On convertit ainsi aisément l'énergie de la lumière en énergie de travail et on peut l'utiliser pour faire fonctionner une pompe. Par exemple, on peut alimenter un muscle artificiel à l'aide d'une fibre optique (77a-77e).
PCT/US1994/007632 1992-08-27 1994-07-11 Muscle artificiel alimente par la lumiere Ceased WO1996001601A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US07/936,681 US5334629A (en) 1992-08-27 1992-08-27 Control of continuous phase pH using visible light to activate pH-dependent fibers and gels in a controlled and reversible manner
PCT/US1994/007632 WO1996001601A1 (fr) 1992-08-27 1994-07-11 Muscle artificiel alimente par la lumiere

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US07/936,681 US5334629A (en) 1992-08-27 1992-08-27 Control of continuous phase pH using visible light to activate pH-dependent fibers and gels in a controlled and reversible manner
PCT/US1994/007632 WO1996001601A1 (fr) 1992-08-27 1994-07-11 Muscle artificiel alimente par la lumiere

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1996001601A1 true WO1996001601A1 (fr) 1996-01-25

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