Flexible magnetic membrane based actuation system and devices involving the same

摘要

A flexible magnetic membrane based actuation system comprising magnetic nanoparticles loaded into a polymeric material such as polyurethane and adapted to actuation of to and fro pumping motions of the membrane under application of magnetic field on the magnetic nanoparticles loaded membrane. More particularly, the present invention is directed to the said nanoparticles-loaded polyurethane magnetic membrane based actuation system adapted to function as displacement membrane for various activities requiring such to and fro motion. The magnetic membrane actuation is adapted to be controlled using electronic equipments to regulate the rate, force and frequency of displacement pulses. The magnetic membrane is thus capable of providing a simple, bio-compatible and cost effective means for displacement/mechanical work to assist functioning of various gadgets/medical devices including function as an artificial support system for heart, non-responsive diaphragm or a non-responsive sphincter, and thus capable of wide industrial applications.

主权项

1. An artificial heart support system comprising:
a support pumping system for blood circulation as in a human heart inside of a human body comprising: a housing having an inlet tube with a first one way valve for the flow of blood inside said housing from the heart and an outlet tube with a second one way valve for the flow of blood out of said housing into a blood vessel in the human body; a displaceable magnetically actuating nanoparticle loaded polyurethane membrane disposed within said housing wherein the membrane is flexible and has embedded therein superparamagnetic nanoparticles which have an extremely large magnetic moment and a large susceptibility to a magnetic field beyond that of paramagnetic particles and wherein the nanoparticles are in the size range of 1 nm to 100 nm; a permanent magnet having a magnetic field of attraction configured to be disposed inside the human body and in proximity to said housing such that the permanent magnet enables maintaining an usual attracted disposition of the membrane having embedded therein superparamagnetic nanoparticles with respect to said permanent magnet in the housing; and an electromagnet configured to be placed outside and in close proximity to a body wall of the human body and opposite to said permanent magnet in proximity to said housing configured for placement inside the human body; the membrane thus disposed within said housing and between said permanent magnet and said electromagnet on either side of said membrane, to generate a displaceable and pulsating magnetic motion of the membrane between said permanent magnet and said electromagnet; the membrane having embedded therein superparamagnetic nanoparticles actuated under said pulsating magnetic motion generated by said permanent magnet and said electromagnet under a selectively controlled magnetic field strength; said electromagnet having a DC input supply for being selectively energized for said selectively controlled magnetic field strength with a periodic electric signal such that when there is no current through the electromagnet, the membrane having embedded therein superparamagnetic nanoparticles remains attracted by the permanent magnet located on the opposite side of the electromagnet and on supply of DC current and said DC current's increase through the electromagnet , the membrane having embedded therein superparamagnetic nanoparticles is pulled away from the permanent magnet and displaced towards the electromagnet and again when the DC current through the electromagnet is reduced and made zero the permanent magnet is adapted to pull back the membrane having embedded therein superparamagnetic nanoparticles such that in the process a pumping action is generated to take in and drive out the blood from the housing adapted to facilitate the circulating motion of blood as in the human heart; a function generator for supplying said periodic electric signal to said electromagnet having the DC input supply to support the operation of the membrane having embedded therein superparamagnetic nanoparticles synchronized with the systolic and diastolic movements of the heart based on synchronization of frequency of a DC input supply signal to said electromagnet; said electromagnet configured to be placed outside and in close proximity to said body wall of the human body with DC input power supply based on said function generator operable from outside the human body free of any wire crossing a human body skin barrier providing for magnetic actuation of the membrane having embedded therein superparamagnetic nanoparticles so as to effect said displaceable and pulsating magnetic motion of the membrane in said housing when electrically energized under said periodic electrical signal to said field strength overcoming the magnetic field of attraction of said permanent magnet placed on the other side of the membrane.