MICROFLUIDIC VALVES AND CHANNELS AND MINIFLUIDIC VALVES AND CHANNELS ENABLED SOFT ROBOTIC DEVICE, APPAREL, AND METHOD

• Main Authors: GAO, Run Ze, MAI, Vivian Ngoc Tram, DICKERSON, Clark R, LEE, Peter S, REN, Carolyn L, KORMYLO, Jacqueline Mary
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 01.02.2024
• Subjects: ACTUATING-FLOATS; BLASTING; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES; COCKS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; FLUID-CIRCUIT ELEMENTS PREDOMINANTLY USED FOR COMPUTING ORCONTROL PURPOSES; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HAND TOOLS; HEATING; HYDRAULICS OR PNEUMATICS IN GENERAL; LIGHTING; MANIPULATORS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; TAPS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; VALVES; WEAPONS

A device for use with soft robotic devices comprises soft fluidic actuators, a microfluidic/minifluidic valves and channels module, a fluidic module, sensors, and a control module. The actuators are operable to apply predetermined effects to surfaces and/or objects. The microfluidic/minifluidic valves and channels module has micro/mini fluidic channels and on-chip fluidic pressure-controlled pinch valves forming a fluidic network. Each pinch valve has a valve pinch chamber, a membrane layer, and a valve control pressure chamber. The control module receives signals from the sensors and controls the fluidic module to control the pinch valves to induce flow of fluid under pressure to the actuators. An active compression apparel may include the device, and may have a skin contact backing layer and a strain-limiting backing layer sandwiching the actuators which are operable to provide compression to the skin and/or limb of a user through the at least one backing layer.