Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
A key feature of the pump is the self- or secondary power generation system in
the form of a much larger piece of IPCNC synthetic muscle, which, in the case of
glaucoma-prevention systems, may be placed on the globe surface (sclera) of the
eye and attached to and secured by the extraocular muscles of the eye. An alternative
external power system includes a biocompatible induction coil with gold wire arma-
ture that can be transcutaneously activated, adjusted, computer interrogated, and
controlled by a surgeon.
9.2.8.2
Exoskeletal Human Joint Power Augmentation (ESHPA)
IPMNC artificial muscles can be used in certain attire to augment human joint power.
Human skeletons have on the average 98 skeletal joints. Some of these joints, such
as the jaw's temporomandibular joint, hand's radio carpal (wrist) joint, fingers'
interphalangeal (IP) joints, or thumb's carpometacarpal (CM) joint, are highly active.
Others, such as the foot's subtalar joint or transverse tarsal joint, are less active. Yet
other joints are rather integrated joints, such as the spine cervical, thoracic, or lumbar
vertebrate joints. The human skeletal joints are exoskeletally powered by elaborate
systems of skeletal muscles—some 4,000 of them—mostly operating in an antago-
nist configuration in which families of pairs of contractile muscles perform articu-
lated joint motions (figs. 9.29 and 9.30).
The powering sequence of skeletal muscles starts with an initial electrical polar-
ization wave signal from the brain through the human spine and nervous system to
cause an ATP-ADP release of chemical energy to power the muscles. Therefore, in
order to fabricate the proposed family of ESHPA systems equipped with solid-state
polymeric sensors and actuators, the full integration of triggering signals, energy
FIGURE 9.29
Human skeletal arm joints.
