Piezoelectric motivator for prosthetic devices
First Claim
1. A synthetic muscle adapted to power a prosthetic limb, comprising:
- a flexible tri-layer element, said tri-layer element including a central element which is flexible in at least two dimensions;
a pair of opposed contractile elements carried by said central element and responsive to the application of electrical potentials thereto to change a physical characteristic thereof; and
,means for selectively applying electrical potentials to each of said contractile elements and, wherein at least one of said opposed contractile elements includes a piezoelectric material embedded in a gelatinous material.
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Abstract
The invention embodies the construction and implementation of synthetic muscle elements into numerous prosthetic devices. The aforesaid synthetic muscle elements consist of piezoelectric Gels; which function to motivate artificial limbs, rotate artificial joints, institute peristaltic motion in synthetic muscle systems and perform other activities consistant with the operation of organic muscle tissue. Sensory elements and ancillary systems embodied within said synthetic muscle means are responsive to evoked potentials generated by the neurons or other impulse conducting structures of the user. The aforesaid synthetic muscle has the additional capacity to sense, measure and act in a compensatory fashion to adjust their operation to biochemicals emitted by the user including, neural humoral secretions, endocrine levels, the formation of metabolites and the tension or partial pressures of gases such as CO2, O2, or other substances.
48 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A synthetic muscle adapted to power a prosthetic limb, comprising:
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a flexible tri-layer element, said tri-layer element including a central element which is flexible in at least two dimensions; a pair of opposed contractile elements carried by said central element and responsive to the application of electrical potentials thereto to change a physical characteristic thereof; and
,means for selectively applying electrical potentials to each of said contractile elements and, wherein at least one of said opposed contractile elements includes a piezoelectric material embedded in a gelatinous material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification