Biologically inspired gripping device

• US 20060004395A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Case Western Reserve University
• Original Assignee: Case Western Reserve University
• Inventors: Mangan, Elizabeth Victoria, Beer, Randall Dean, Chiel, Hillel Judah, Quinn, Roger D., Sutton, Gregory Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 7,857,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/159
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22032 having inflatable gripping elements balloon catheters A61M25/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00544 pneumatically

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gripping device that consists of four artificial muscle rings arranged in parallel. A grasper is placed in the middle of the rings. Sequential activation of the rings produces a peristaltic motion that moves the grasper back and forth within the rings. By activating the grasper appropriately, it can grab, ingest, and move soft and irregular material from one side of the lumen formed by the rings to the other side.

Claims

1. A flexible gripping device comprising:

a plurality of pneumatic actuator sections each in the form of a pneumatic actuator ring;

a grasper element disposed within the plurality of pneumatic actuator rings and adapted to move back and forth within the actuator rings.

2. The gripping device of claim 1 further including:

means for sequentially activating the plurality of actuator rings to produce a peristaltic motion that moves the grasper element back and forth within the actuator rings.

3. The gripping device of claim 2, wherein:

the plurality of actuator rings are disposed in parallel relation to each other and are secured to each other to form a tubular device with a central interior through which the grasper element moves back and forth.

4. The gripping device of claim 3, including:

means of connecting each of the actuator rings to an adjacent ring so that each of the actuator rings remain in contact with adjacent rings as any ring expands or contracts whereby each ring may expand in volume and occupy part of the central interior so as to exert force on the grasper element.

5. The gripping device of claim 3, including:

means to actuate the actuator rings to move the grasper element forwards or backwards relative to the central interior of the tubular device.

6. The gripping device of claim 5, including:

means for returning the grasper element to an initial resting position in the central interior of the tubular device if the actuator rings are not actuated.

7. The gripping device of claim 6 wherein the means for returning the grasper element is an elastic band attached to the grasper element and to a substrate for constraining the grasper element to rotate and for pulling the grasper element back to the initial resting position.

8. The gripping device of claim 1, wherein the grasper element comprises:

a generally spherically shaped, elastomeric element;

a first cleft shaped opening extending from a peripheral surface towards the interior of the elastomeric element;

a second cleft shaped opening extending from an opposite side of the peripheral surface towards the interior of the elastomeric element;

means within the second cleft shaped opening to provide a passive closing force; and

at least one pneumatic actuator disposed across the second cleft shaped opening and attached at opposite ends of the actuator to the peripheral surface for opening the second cleft shaped opening and simultaneously closing the first cleft shaped opening so as to enable them to grasp a material to be moved.

9. The gripping device of claim 8, wherein the means to provide a passive closing force is a spring.

10. The gripping device of claim 8, wherein:

the first cleft shaped opening is a generally wedge shaped opening of an angle of between about 5°

to about 45°

; and

the second cleft shaped opening is a generally wedge shaped opening that is substantially identical to the first generally wedge shaped opening.

11. The gripping device of claim 1, wherein the grasper element comprises:

a generally ellipsoid shaped element with a groove having a flat bottom surface formed around the circumference of the ellipsoid shaped element;

a pair of inflatable tubular actuators disposed in the groove and spaced from each other;

means to inflate the tubular actuators so that they expand radially and press against each other to enable a material to be grasped and moved.

12. The gripping device of claim 11, wherein the grasper element includes means for securing the pair of inflatable tubular actuators disposed in the groove.

13. The gripping device of claim 11, wherein the groove in the grasper element is disposed parallel to the minor axis of the generally ellipsoid shaped element.

14. The gripping device of claim 11, further including:

means of returning the grasper element returns to an initial resting position if the actuator rings are not actuated.

15. The flexible gripping device of claim 5, further including:

means of sensing physical properties encountered by the grasper element; and

means of controlling the gripping device in response to the physical properties encountered by the grasper element.

16. The flexible gripping device of claim 15, wherein the means of controlling the gripping device further includes:

means for responding to changes in physical properties encountered by the grasper element by altering the duration or intensity of protraction or retraction of the grasper element or opening or closing of the grasper element.

17. A method of moving a material with a flexible gripping device comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of pneumatic actuator rings secured to each other form a tubular device with a central interior;

disposing a grasper element within the plurality of pneumatic actuator rings at an initial resting position; and

sequentially activating the plurality of actuator rings to produce a peristaltic motion that moves the grasper element back and forth within the interior of the actuator rings.

18. The method of claim 17 further including the step of:

returning the grasper element to the initial resting position in the central interior of the tubular device if the actuator rings are not actuated.

19. The method of claim 17 further including the steps of:

providing the grasper element of a generally spherical shaped, flexible structure with a first cleft shaped opening extending from a peripheral surface towards the interior of the grasper element and a second cleft shaped opening extending from an opposite side of the peripheral surface towards the interior of the grasper element;

opening the second cleft shaped opening and simultaneously closing the first cleft shaped opening so as to enable them to grasp a material to be moved.

20. The method of claim 17 further including the steps of:

providing the grasper element with a pair of inflatable tubular actuators;

inflating the tubular actuators so that they expand radially and press against each other to enable a material to be grasped and moved.

21. The method of claim 17 further including the steps of:

sensing physical properties encountered by the grasper element; and

controlling the gripping device in response to the physical properties encountered by the grasper element.

22. The method of claim 17 further including the step of:

changing the timing of opening and closing the grasper element relative to protraction and retraction of the plurality of actuator rings so that material can be transported from outside the central interior into the central interior, or from within the central interior outside of the central interior.