A Microactuator Array Based on Ionic Electroactive Artificial Muscles for Cell Mechanical Stimulation

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 c...

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Published inBiomimetics (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 9; no. 5; p. 281
Main Authors Gu, Jing, Zhou, Zixing, Xie, Yang, Zhu, Xiaobin, Huang, Guoyou, Zhang, Zuoqi
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland MDPI AG 01.05.2024
Subjects
Analysis
artificial muscle
Biomechanics
Deformation
DNA microarrays
electro-actuation
electroactive polymer
Electrodes
Electronic equipment
Humidity
Lasers
Mechanical stimuli
Methods
microactuator
Muscles
Numerical analysis
Polymers
Research hot spots
Sensors
Simulation methods
China
United States > US
electroactive polymer
biomechanics
electro-actuation
artificial muscle
microactuator
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Summary: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.
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ISSN:2313-7673
2313-7673
DOI:10.3390/biomimetics9050281