Applications of bioinspired approaches and challenges inmedical devices

Urgent requirements of medical devices Precision medicine has gradually become a development strategy in many countries and attracted worldwide attention in recent years due to the increasing concerns in public health.Although the definition of precision medicine has less or more difference from the viewpoints of different fields,the demands on the properties of medical devices or medical materials involving biocompatibility and anti-thrombosis are gradually growingmuch more diverse and much more urgent than ever[1].This trend brings up many new research topics about materials,mechanical systems and sensors to develop advanced medical devices.How to design and on-demand fabricate the bio-materials,bio-interface and bio-systems to meet the urgent demands of medical devices is still a challenge for us.

Feasibility study of wave-motion milling of carbon fiber reinforced plastic holes

Carbon fiber reinforced plastic(CFRP)has been applied in aeronautics,aerospace,automotive and medical industries due to its superior mechanical properties.However,due to its difficult-to-cut characteristic,various damages in twist drilling and chip removal clog in core drilling could happen,inevitably reducing hole quality and hole-manufacturing efficiency.This paper proposes the wave-motion milling(WMM)method for CFRP hole-manufacturing to improve hole quality.This paper presents a motion path model based on the kinematics of the WMM method.The wave-motion cutting mode in WMM was analyzed first.Then,comparison experiments on WMM and conventional helical milling(CHM)of CFRP were carried out under dry conditions.The results showed that the hole surface quality of the CFRP significantly improved with a decrease of 18.1%–36%of Ra value in WMM compared to CHM.WMM exerted a significantly weaker thrust force than that of CHM with a reduction of 12.0%–24.9%and 3%–7.7%for different axial feed per tooth and tangential feed per tooth,respectively.Meanwhile,the hole exit damages significantly decreased in WMM.The average tear length at the hole exit in WMM was reduced by 3.5%–29.5%and 35.5%–44.7%at different axial feed per tooth and tangential feed per tooth,respectively.Moreover,WMM significantly alleviated tool wear.The experimental results suggest that WMM is an effective and promising strategy for CFRP hole-manufacturing.

Bioinspired Functional Surfaces for Medical Devices

Medical devices are a major component of precision medicine and play a key role in medical treatment,particularly with the rapid development of minimally invasive surgery and wearable devices.Their tissue contact properties strongly affect device performance and patient health(e.g.,heat coagulation and slipperiness on surgical graspers).However,the design and optimization of these device surfaces are still indistinct and have no supporting principles.Under such conditions,natural surfaces with various unique functions can provide solutions.This review summarizes the current progress in natural functional surfaces for medical devices,including ultra-slipperiness and strong wet attachment.The underlying mechanisms of these surfaces are attributed to their coupling effects and featured micronano structures.Depending on various medical requirements,adaptable designs and fabrication methods have been developed.Additionally,various medical device surfaces have been validated to achieve enhanced contact properties.Based on these studies,a more promising future for medical devices can be achieved for enhanced precision medicine and human health.

Design of Sandwich Transducer Based on the Equivalent Length Algorithm

The sandwich transducer structure is comprised of threecomponents along its main axis: the back metal cap, piezoelectricceramic stack and the horn. The purpose of this work is topresent a simplified method, referred as the equivalent lengthalgorithm, to design the actuator parameters including eachsegment length and the resonance frequency fs. The actuatorlength L and the propagation wavelength λ along its main axissatisfy the standing wave theory. So, define an equivalent lengthcoefficient for each part of the actuator, and then the sandwichstructure is regarded as a single material cylindrical rod withequivalent length L′. According to the standing wave theory, theequivalent length L′ of the actuator can be determined with thegiven resonance frequency fs, or vice versa. The phase length ofeach part of the actuator in the standing wave is optimized freelyin the design procedure. The actual length of each part of theactuator is determined by the equivalent length coefficient.Finally, the resonance frequencies of three given actuators arecalculated with this method. They are compared with thoseobtained through Ansys simulation and those measured by animpedance analyzer. The results show agreement.

High-efficiency ultrasonic assisted drilling of CFRP/Ti stacks under non-separation type and dry conditions

In this study,to address the low efficiency for conventional ultrasonic-assisted drlling(UAD)of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic and titanium alloy(CFRP/Ti)stacks,feasibility experiments of non-separation UAD,in which continuous cutting between the tool and the workpiece occurs at a high feed rate,are carried out.The experimental results indicate that,compared to conventional separation UAD,the non-separation UAD effectively reduces the cutting forces by 24.2%and 1.9%for CFRP stage and 22.1%and 2.6%for the Ti stage at the feed rates of 50 and 70μm/r,respectively.Furthermore,the non-separation UAD significantly improves hole quality,including higher hole diameter accuracy,lower hole surface roughness,and less hole damage.In addition,the non-separation UAD can decrease adhesive tool wear.This study demonstrates that,compared to conventional drilling(CD),the non-separation UAD can effectively improve drilling quality and tool life while maintaining high efficiency.

Bioinspired Scraper-File Type Frequency-Doubling Ultrasonic Exciter

In the natural world,leaf-cutting ants cause vibrations through their mutual scraping of file-scraper organs.In this study,we designed a Biomimetic Ultrasonic Exciter(BUE)that imitates leaf-cutting ants.The operating characteristics of the BUE were studied through experimental testing and finite element simulations.The results showed that the BUE could generate stable ultrasonic vibrations,and that the excitation frequency only needed to be half the Output Frequency(OF).This frequency-doubling phenomenon was conducive to achieving BUE miniaturization.To further explore the phenomenon of frequency-doubling vibration output,this study designed scrapers of five different sizes,conducted excitation and first-order natural frequency measurement tests,and the corresponding finite element simulations.It was found that each scraper could operate in frequency-doubling mode,but the operating frequency and natural mode frequencies did not correspond with one another.To further explicate experimental and simulation results,a two-degrees-of-freedom vibration model was developed.It was evident that the contact relationship between the dentate disc and scraper introduced strong nonlinear factors into the system,accounting for the frequency-doubling phenomenon and the difference between the BUE’s operating and mode frequencies.The BUE could be expected to facilitate the production of high-power micro-ultrasonic generators and has potential application value in the fields of mechanical processing,industrial production,and medical health.

A Bionic Starfish Adsorption Crawling Soft Robot

A variety of soft wall-climbing robots have been developed that can move in certain patterns.Most of these soft robots can only move on conventional surfaces and lack adaptability to complex surfaces.Improving the adaptability of soft robots on complex surfaces is still a challenging problem.To this end,we study the layered structure of the starfish tube foot and the valve flap structure in the water vascular system,and use an ultrasonic stress detector to study the stiffness distribution of the arm structure.Inspired by the motion of the starfish,we present a bionic soft wall-climbing robot,which is driven by two groups of pneumatic feet and achieves body bending through active adaptation layers.We design the structure of the foot to flex to provide driving force,and there are suction cups at the end of the foot to provide suction.The soft foot has a simple structure design,adapts to a variety of surfaces,and does not damage the surface of the substrate.Variable stiffness layers achieve stiffness changes by the principle of line blocking.The Central Pattern Generator theory is introduced to coordinately control the multiple feet of the robot.After experiments,we verify the adaptability of the soft robot to curved surfaces.The research may provide a reference for the design and development of crawling soft robots on complex surfaces.

Influence of transversal vibration on cutting performance and surface integrity during ultrasonic peening drilling of Al-Li alloys

Advanced hole-making process is of great importance to enhance the fatigue performance of Al-Li alloy part in aviation industry.Ultrasonic peening drilling(UPD),in which an ultrasonic transversal vibration is applied to the cutting tools,is a recently proposed hole-making method that integrates precision-machining and surface strengthening by single-shot operation.In the study,kinematics,material removal mechanism and strengthening mechanism for UPD of Al-Li alloy by helical fluted reamers are analyzed.The effect of transversal vibration on the cutting performance and surface integrity is studied through comparative experiments between UPD and conventional drilling(CD)of Al-Li alloy holes.The experimental results show that UPD exhibits superior cutting performance with a maximum reduction of 52.6%in thrust force and 52.3%in torque,respectively,compared to CD.Moreover,narrower dimensional tolerance is obtained in UPD due to the reduced transversal force and improved machining stability.Additionally,deeper plastic deformation,higher surface microhardness and residual compressive stress of machined holes are obtained by UPD.The electron back-scattered diffraction(EBSD)analysis confirms that deeper machined affect area and grain refinement are realized in UPD.Therefore,the results indicate that UPD is a feasible method for achieving high-precision and strengthened holes for Al-Li alloy.

A Magnetic-Driven Multi-motion Robot with Position/Orientation Sensing Capability

Miniature magnetic-driven robots with multimode motions and high-precision pose sensing capacity(position and orientation)are greatly demanded in in situ manipulation in narrow opaque enclosed spaces.Various magnetic robots have been carried out,whereas their deformations normally remain in single mode,and the lack of the robot’s real-time status leads to its beyond-sight remagnetization and manipulation being impossible.The function integration of pose sensing and multimode motion is still of challenge.Here,a multimotion thin-film robot is created in a novel multilayer structure with a magneticdriven layer covered by a heating-sensing conductive layer.Such a heating-sensing layer not only can segmentally and on-demand heat the magnetic-driven layer for in situ magnetization reprogramming and multimode motions but also can precisely detect the robot’s pose(position and orientation)from its electrical-resistance effect by creating a small deformation under preset magnetic fields.

Biomimetic Drag Reduction Study on Herringbone Riblets of Bird Feather

Birds have gradually formed various excellent structures such as streamlined shape and hollow shaft of feather to improve their flying performance by millions of years of natural selection. As typical property of bird feather, herringbone riblets align along the shaft of each feather, which is caused by perfect link of barbs, especially for the primary and secondary feathers of wings. Such herringbone riblets of feather are assumed to have great impact on drag reduction. In this paper, microstructures of secondary feathers of adult pigeons are investigated by SEM, and their structural parameters are statistically obtained. Based on quantitative analysis of feather structure, novel biomimetic herringbone riblets with narrow smooth edge are proposed to reduce surface drag. In comparison with traditional microgroove riblets and other drag reduction structures, the drag reduction rate of the proposed biomimetic herringbone riblets is experimentally clarified up to 16%, much higher than others. Moreover, the drag reduction mechanism of herringbone riblets are also confirmed and exploited by CFD.

Chatter stability and precision during high-speed ultrasonic vibration cutting of a thin-walled titanium cylinder

Titanium alloys are widely used in the aviation and aerospace industries due to their unique mechanical and physical properties.Specifically,thin-walled titanium(Ti)cylinders have received increasing attention for their applications as rocket engine casings,aircraft landing gear,and aero-engine hollow shaft due to their observed improvement in the thrust-to-weight ratio.However,the conventional cutting(CC)process is not appropriate for thin-walled Ti cylinders due to its low thermal conductivity,high strength,and low stiffness.Instead,high-speed ultrasonic vibration cutting(HUVC)assisted processing has recently proved highly effective for Ti-alloy machining.In this study,HUVC technology is employed to perform external turning of a thinwalled Ti cylinder,which represents a new application of HUVC.First,the kinematics,tool path,and dynamic cutting thickness of HUVC are evaluated.Second,the phenomenon of mode-coupling chatter is analyzed to determine the effects and mechanism of HUVC by establishing a critical cutting thickness model.HUVC can increase the critical cutting thickness and effectively reduce the average cutting force,thus reducing the energy intake of the system.Finally,comparison experiments are conducted between HUVC and CC processes.The results indicate that the diameter error rate is 10%or less for HUVC and 51%for the CC method due to a 40%reduction in the cutting force.In addition,higher machining precision and better surface roughness are achieved during thin-walled Ti cylinder manufacturing using HUVC.

In vivo degradation and endothelialization of an iron bioresorbable scaffold

Detection of in vivo biodegradation is critical for development of next-generation medical devices such as bioresorbable stents or scaffolds(BRSs).In particular,it is urgent to establish a nondestructive approach to examine in vivo degradation of a new-generation coronary stent for interventional treatment based on mammal experiments;otherwise it is not available to semi-quantitatively monitor biodegradation in any clinical trial.Herein,we put forward a semi-quantitative approach to measure degradation of a sirolimus-eluting iron bioresorbable scaffold(IBS)based on optical coherence tomography(OCT)images;this approach was confirmed to be consistent with the present weight-loss measurements,which is,however,a destructive approach.The IBS was fabricated by a metal-polymer composite technique with a polylactide coating on an iron stent.The efficacy as a coronary stent of this new bioresorbable scaffold was compared with that of a permanent metal stent with the name of trade mark Xience,which has been widely used in clinic.The endothelial coverage on IBS was found to be greater than on Xience after implantation in a rabbit model;and our well-designed ultrathin stent exhibited less individual variation.We further examined degradation of the IBSs in both minipig coronary artery and rabbit abdominal aorta models.The present result indicated much faster iron degradation of IBS in the rabbit model than in the porcine model.The semi-quantitative approach to detect biodegradation of IBS and the finding of the species difference might be stimulating for fundamental investigation of biodegradable implants and clinical translation of the next-generation coronary stents.

Investigation on the Lateral Line Systems of Two Cavefish： Sinocyclocheilus Macrophthalmus and S. Microphthalmus （Cypriniformes： Cyprinidae）

Cavefish, with sensitive lateral lines, can swim freely and locate preys in invisible and complex cave environments, though their eyes are greatly degenerated. Investigations on the morphology and distribution characteristics of their lateral line systems would benefit our understanding of the high-sensitivity mechanism of the fish. In this study, the arrangement and morphology of the lateral lines are described for two species ofSinocyclocheilus： S. macrophthalmus and S. microphthalmus, which live in the karst caves in Guangxi, China. The behavior experiments indicate that the lateral line system of the S. macrophthalmus is more sensitive at a low vibration frequency range from 20 Hz to 70 Hz. The cephalic and trunk lateral line systems both contribute to the efficient object-locating capability. For both of the two species of cavefish, the diameter of the lateral canal nearby the neuromasts is narrower than that nearby the canal pores. This variation can increase the normal pressure to the surface of the cupula, and increase the sensitivity of the canal lateral line system.

Bioinspired Unidirectional Liquid Transport Micro-nano Structures:A Review

Unidirectional liquid transport without any need of external energy has drawn worldwide attention for its potential applications in various fields such as microfluidics,biomedicine and mechanical engineering.In nature,numerous creatures have evolved such extraordinary unidirectional liquid transport ability such as spider sik,Sarracenia's trichomes,and Nepenthes alata's peristome,etc.This review summarizes the current progresses of natural unidirectional liquid transport on 1-Dimensional(1D)linear structure and 2-Dimensional(2D)surface stucture.The driving force of unidirectional liquid transport which is determined by unique structure exist distinct differences in physics.The fundamental understanding of 1D and 2D unidirectionaliquid transport especially about hierarchical structural characteristics and their transport mechanism were concentrated,and various bioinspired fabrication methods are also introduced.The applications of bioinspired directional liquid transport are demonstrated especially in fields of microfluidies,biomedical devices and anti-icing surfaces.With newly developed smart materials,various liquid transport regulation strategies are also summarized for the control of transport speed,direction guiding,etc.Finally,we provide new insights and future perspectives of the directional transport materials.

Structural and Mechanical Characterization ofAtrina Pectinata and Freshwater Mussel Shells

The microstructures ofAtrina pectinata and freshwater mussel shells are investigated by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties of these shells are characterized by nanoindentation and three-point bending tests. Results show that both shells possess a prismatic microstructure mainly composed of columnar crystals and an organic matrix. The fracture toughness of the prismatic structure of Atrina pectinata and freshwater mussel are approximately 1.15 MPa.m1/2 and 0.87 MPa.m1/2, respectively, while the fracture toughness of natural calcite is approximately 0.2 MPa.m1/2. Calculated results from indentations agree with those obtained from the three-point bending tests. The columnar crystal material shows excellent fracture toughness due to grain refinement. In addition, the organic matrix of the prismatic layer can arrest cracks, and thereby improves the fracture toughness.

Effects of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes on the Electromagnetic Absorbing Characteristics of Composites Filled with Carbonyl Iron Particles

The electromagnetic （EM） wave absorbing property of silicone rubber filled with carbonyl iron particles （CIPs） and multi-walled carbon nanotubes （MWCNTs） was examined. Absorbents including MWCNTs and spherical/ flaky CIPs were added to silicone rubber using a two-roll mixer. The complex permittivity and complex permeability were measured over the frequency range of 1-18 GHz. The two EM parameters were verified and the uniform dispersion of MWCNTs and ClPs was confirmed by comparing the measured reflection loss （RL） with the calculated one. As the MWCNT weight percent increased, the RL of the spherical CIPs/silicone rubber composites changed insignificantly. It was attributed to the random distribution of spherical ClPs and less content of MWCNTs. On the contrary, for composites filled with flaky ClPs the absorption bandwidth increased at thickness 0.5 mm （RL value lower than -5 dB in 8-18 GHz） and the absorption ratio increased at lower frequency （minimum -35 dB at 3.5 GHz）. This effect was attributed to the oriented distribution of flaky CIPs caused by interactions between the two absorbents. Therefore, mixing MWCNTs and flaky CIPs could achieve wider-band and higher-absorption ratio absorbing materials.

Microwave Absorption and Shielding Property of Composites with FeSiAl and Carbonous Materials as Filler

Silicone rubber composites filled with FeSiAI alloys and multi-walled carbon nanotubes （MWCNT）/graphite have been prepared for the first time by a coating process. The complex permittivity and permeability of the composites were measured with a vector network analyzer in a 1-4 GHz frequency range, and the DC electric conductivity was measured by a standard four-point contact method. These parameters were then used to calculate the reflection loss （RL） and shielding effectiveness （SE） of the composites. The results showed that the added MWCNT increased the permittivity and permeability of composites in the L-band, while the added graphite increased only the permittivity. The variation lies in the interactions between two carbonous absorbents. Addition of 1 wt% MWCNT enhanced the RL in the L-band （minimum -5.7 dB at 1 ram, -7.3 dB at 1.5 ram）, while the addition of graphite did not. Addition of MWCNT as well as graphite reinforced the shielding property of the composites （maximum SE 13.3 dB at 1 ram, 18.3 dB at 1.5 ram） owing to the increase of conductivity. The addition of these carbonous materials could hold the promise of enforcing the absorption and shielding property of the absorbers.

Ironing effect on surface integrity and fatigue behavior during ultrasonic peening drilling of Ti-6Al-4V

Imposing compressive residual stress field around a fastening hole serves as a universal method to enhance the hole fatigue strength in the aircraft assembly filed.Ultrasonic Peening Drilling(UPD)is a recently proposed hybrid hole making process,which can achieve an integration of strengthening and precision-machining with a one-shot-drilling operation.Due to the ironing effect of tool flank surface,UPD introduces large compressive residual stress filed in hole subsurface.In order to reveal the strengthening mechanism of UPD,the influence of ultrasonic vibration and tool dynamic relief angle on ironing coverage rate and its corresponding effect on surface integrity in UPD were analyzed.The experiments were conducted to verify the influence of ironing effect on surface integrity and fatigue behavior of Ti-6Al-4V hole in UPD.The results indicate that the specimen features smaller surface roughness,higher micro-hardness,plastic deformation degree and circumferential compress residual stress under higher ironing coverage rate.The fatigue life increases with the raise of ironing coverage rate,and the fatigue source site in UPD shifts from surface to subsurface comparing with that without vibration assistance.The results demonstrates that a better strengthening effect can be obtained by reasonably controlling the ironing coverage rate in UPD.

Magnetic resonance (MR) safety and compatibility of a novel iron bioresorbable scaffold

Fully bioresorbable scaffolds have been designed to overcome the limitations of traditional drug-eluting stents(DESs),which permanently cage the native vessel wall and pose possible complications.The ultrathin-strut designed sirolimus-eluting iron bioresorbable coronary scaffold system(IBS)shows comparable mechanical properties to traditional DESs and exhibits an adaptive degradation profile during target vessel healing,which makes it a promising candidate in all-comers patient population.For implanted medical devices,magnetic resonance(MR)imaging properties,including MR safety and compatibility,should be evaluated before its clinical use,especially for devices with intrinsic ferromagnetism.In this study,MR safety and compatibility of the IBS scaffold were evaluated based on a series of well-designed in-vitro,ex-vivo and in-vivo experiments,considering possible risks,including scaffold movement,over-heating,image artifact,and possible vessel injury,under typical MR condition.Traditional ASTM standards for MR safety and compatibility evaluation of intravascular devices were referred,but not only limited to that.The unique time-relevant MR properties of bioresorbable scaffolds were also discussed.Possible forces imposed on the scaffold during MR scanning and MR image artifacts gradually decreased along with scaffold degradation/absorption.Rigorous experiments designed based on a scientifically based rationale revealed that the IBS scaffold is MR conditional,though not MR compatible before complete absorption.The methodology used in the present study can give insight into the MR evaluation of magnetic scaffolds(bioresorbable)or stents(permanent).

Research and clinical translation of trilayer stent-graft of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene for interventional treatment of aortic dissection

The aortic dissection(AD)is a life-threatening disease.The transcatheter endovascular aortic repair(EVAR)affords a minimally invasive technique to save the lives of these critical patients,and an appropriate stent-graft gets to be the key medical device during an EVAR procedure.Herein,we report a trilayer stent-graft and corresponding delivery system used for the treatment of the AD disease.The stent-graft is made of nitinol stents with an asymmetric Z-wave design and two expanded polytetrafluoroethylene(ePTFE)membranes.Each of the inner and outer surfaces of the stent-graft was covered by an ePTFE membrane,and the two membranes were then sintered together.The biological studies of the sintered ePTFE membranes indicated that the stent-graft had excellent cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility in vitro.Both the stent-graft and the delivery system exhibited satisfactory mechanical properties and operability.The safety and efficacy of this stent-graft and the corresponding delivery system were demonstrated in vivo.In nine canine experiments,the blood vessels of the animals implanted with the stent-grafts were of good patency,and there were no thrombus and obvious stenosis by angiography after implantation for 6months.Furthermore,all of the nine clinical cases experienced successful implantation using the stent-graft and its postrelease delivery system,and the 1-year follow-ups indicated the preliminary safety and efficacy of the trilayer stent-graft with an asymmetric Z-wave design for interventional treatment.