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A minimal-torque, wave-generating, propelling & pumping mechanism (Technion)

总结

Background:
In low Reynold's number conditions, as in small scales or highly viscous environments, the dynamics are governed mainly by drag effects, therefore mechanisms must rely on non-inertial, non-time reversible trajectories. These conditions are fully satisfied by travelling mechanical waves, one of the common motility mechanisms for unicellular creatures, micro-robotic artificial swimmers, and lately also utilized in micro pumps. The increasing interest in micro-swimmers stems from the potential therapeutic capabilities such as targeted drug delivery, and non-invasive micro surgery and diagnosis. Low-frequency, non-vibratory traveling waves are encountered in self-propelled robots such as snake-like or snail-like robots. There are several other mechanisms dealing with slow, non-vibratory traveling waves to propel marine and land vehicles as well as those which use wave generators for therapeutic chairs or ocean wave simulation.

Method:
The proposed method generates traveling surface waves, which in ideal conditions (negligible friction), at constant rotation speed, either consumes no power and therefore zero input torque, or in cases of non-negligible friction, requires a minimal, non-oscillating torque. A set of successive cams are situated along a common input shaft. The cams are connected to a peripheral elastic cylindrical membrane by cam followers. As the camshaft rotates, the cam followers are reciprocating radially, thus altering the diameter of the cylinder sinusoidally along predetermined sections and in a predetermined order, yielding a mechanical traveling wave of deformation along the cylindrical membrane. Cam profile and phase angle between successive cams controls the mechanical wave properties as amplitude, wavelength, and wave velocity, together with shaft angular velocity.

技术优势

Smooth, bio-friendly in vivo propagation mechanism
Efficient propulsion mechanism for small-scale mobile applications
Minimal torque

技术应用

Catheter, Gastroscope or Colonoscope propagation mechanism
Micro pumps, micro artificial swimmers and high viscosity pumps
Targeted drug delivery and non-invasive micro surgery and diagnosis

ID号码

ENG-1398

国家/地区

以色列