Electrostatic microactuators, active three-dimensional microcatheters using same and method for making same
First Claim
1. Electrostatic microactuator based on distributed elementary actuators (110) each comprising a flexible plate or beam (10), furnished at one end with a projecting strut or pad (12), directed toward a substrate (20) covered with an insulating layer (22) and a generator (30) adapted for applying voltage pulses between the plate (10) and the substrate (20), characterized in that the electrostatic microactuator integrates a large number of such associated elementary actuators (110) and means (130) for applying individually, to the entirety of actuators (110), a homogeneous external pressure by using means guaranteeing a superposition of the driving forces generated by the various elementary actuators and, moreover, transferring to a common external load, the resultant of the driving forces emanating from the collective behavior of these same elementary actuators, the elementary actuators (110) being formed in a monolithic support sheet (100) placed in a mechanical clearance at the interface of two solid bodies (200, 210) articulated with respect to one another, in such a way that a framework of the sheet (100) is in contact with one of the solid bodies (210), while the elementary actuators (110) are in contact with the other body (200).
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrostatic microactuator, known as a “Scratch Drive Actuator” or SDA, is based on a collective set of distributed elementary SDAs of small size that are associated with one another and that integrates a large number so as to allow the addition of the forces generated by each of the SDAs in the collective set. An external mechanical prestress, formed by a homogeneous external pressure in the form of a bias voltage applied at rest to the associated SDAs, is applied to the SDAs to allow a superposition of the forces generated by the associated SDAs. This is done while communicating to an external load the entire driving force emanating from the collective behavior of the SDAs. The electrostatic attraction forces established by the bias voltage are used to calibrate an individualized prestress for each actuator involved in the collective set. Such an electrostatic microactuator forms part of an active three-dimensional microcatheter, as one possible application, that can be used in a blood vessel.
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Citations
40 Claims
- 1. Electrostatic microactuator based on distributed elementary actuators (110) each comprising a flexible plate or beam (10), furnished at one end with a projecting strut or pad (12), directed toward a substrate (20) covered with an insulating layer (22) and a generator (30) adapted for applying voltage pulses between the plate (10) and the substrate (20), characterized in that the electrostatic microactuator integrates a large number of such associated elementary actuators (110) and means (130) for applying individually, to the entirety of actuators (110), a homogeneous external pressure by using means guaranteeing a superposition of the driving forces generated by the various elementary actuators and, moreover, transferring to a common external load, the resultant of the driving forces emanating from the collective behavior of these same elementary actuators, the elementary actuators (110) being formed in a monolithic support sheet (100) placed in a mechanical clearance at the interface of two solid bodies (200, 210) articulated with respect to one another, in such a way that a framework of the sheet (100) is in contact with one of the solid bodies (210), while the elementary actuators (110) are in contact with the other body (200).
Specification