A Review of Nano/Micro/Milli Needles Fabrications for Biomedical Engineering

Needles,as some of the most widely used medical devices,have been effectively applied in human disease prevention,diagnosis,treatment,and rehabilitation.Thin 1D needle can easily penetrate cells/organs by generating highly localized stress with their sharp tips to achieve bioliquid sampling,biosensing,drug delivery,surgery,and other such applications.In this review,we provide an overview of multiscale needle fabrication techniques and their biomedical applications.Needles are classified as nanoneedles,microneedles and millineedles based on the needle diameter,and their fabrication techniques are highlighted.Nanoneedles bridge the inside and outside of cells,achieving intracellular electrical recording,biochemical sensing,and drug delivery.Microneedles penetrate the stratum corneum layer to detect biomarkers/bioelectricity in interstitial fluid and deliver drugs through the skin into the human circulatory system.Millineedles,including puncture,syringe,acupuncture and suture needles,are presented.Finally,conclusions and future perspectives for next-generation nano/micro/milli needles are discussed.

Deformation behavior of Mg-Y-Ni alloys containing different volume fraction of LPSO phase during tension and compression through in-situ synchrotron diffraction

The deformation behavior of the as-extruded Mg-Y-Ni alloys with different volume fraction of long period stacking ordered(LPSO)phase during tension and compression was investigated by in-situ synchrotron diffraction.The micro-yielding,macro-yielding,tension-compression asymmetry and strain hardening behavior of the alloys were explored by combining with deformation mechanisms.The micro-yielding is dominated by basal slip of dynamic recrystallized(DRXed)grains in tension,while it is dominated by extension twinning of non-dynamic recrystallized(non-DRXed)grains in compression.At macro-yielding,the non-DRXed grains are still elastic deformed in tension and the basal slip of DRXed grains in compression are activated.Meanwhile,the LPSO phase still retains elastic deformation,but can bear more load,so the higher the volume fraction of hard LPSO phase,the higher the tensile/compressive macro-yield strength of the alloys.Benefiting from the low volume fraction of the non-DRXed grains and the delay effect of LPSO andγphases on extension twinning,the as-extruded alloys exhibit excellent tension-compression symmetry.When the volume fraction of LPSO phase reaches∼50%,tension-compression asymmetry is reversed,which is due to the fact that the LPSO phase is stronger in compression than in tension.The tensile strain hardening behavior is dominated by dislocation slip,while the dominate mechanism for compressive strain hardening changes from twinning in theα-Mg grains to kinking of the LPSO phase with increasing volume fraction of LPSO phase.The activation of kinking leads to the constant compressive strain hardening rate of∼2500 MPa,which is significantly higher than the tensile strain hardening rate.

Natural frequency analysis of laminated piezoelectric beams with arbitrary polarization directions

Piezoelectric devices exhibit unique properties that vary with different vibration modes,closely influenced by their polarization direction.This paper presents an analysis on the free vibration of laminated piezoelectric beams with varying polarization directions,using a state-space-based differential quadrature method.First,based on the electro-elasticity theory,the state-space method is extended to anisotropic piezoelectric materials,establishing state-space equations for arbitrary polarized piezoelectric beams.A semi-analytical solution for the natural frequency is then obtained via the differential quadrature method.The study commences by examining the impact of a uniform polarization direction,and then proceeds to analyze six polarization schemes relevant to the current research and applications.Additionally,the effects of geometric dimensions and gradient index on the natural frequencies are explored.The numerical results demonstrate that varying the polarization direction can significantly influence the natural frequencies,offering distinct advantages for piezoelectric elements with different polarizations.This research provides both theoretical insights and numerical methods for the structural design of piezoelectric devices.

Advances in Graphene‑Based Electrode for Triboelectric Nanogenerator

With the continuous development of wearable electronics,wireless sensor networks and other micro-electronic devices,there is an increasingly urgent need for miniature,flexible and efficient nanopower generation technology.Triboelectric nanogenerator(TENG)technology can convert small mechanical energy into electricity,which is expected to address this problem.As the core component of TENG,the choice of electrode materials significantly affects its performance.Traditional metal electrode materials often suffer from problems such as durability,which limits the further application of TENG.Graphene,as a novel electrode material,shows excellent prospects for application in TENG owing to its unique structure and excellent electrical properties.This review systematically summarizes the recent research progress and application prospects of TENGs based on graphene electrodes.Various precision processing methods of graphene electrodes are introduced,and the applications of graphene electrode-based TENGs in various scenarios as well as the enhancement of graphene electrodes for TENG performance are discussed.In addition,the future development of graphene electrode-based TENGs is also prospectively discussed,aiming to promote the continuous advancement of graphene electrode-based TENGs.

Dry Friction and Wear Characteristics of Impregnated Graphite in a Corrosive Environment

Tribological properties of impregnated graphite are greatly influenced by preparation technology and working conditions and it’s highly susceptible to corrosion environmental impacts,but the experimental research about it are few.In this paper,three kinds of impregnated graphite samples are prepared with different degree of graphitization,the tribological properties of these samples in the dry friction environment and in a corrosive environment are analyzed and contrasted.The tribo-test results show that the friction coefficient of samples is reduced and the amount of wear of samples increase when the graphitization degree of samples increases in dry friction condition.While in a corrosive environment（samples are soaked N2O4）,the friction coefficient and amount of wear are changed little if the graphitization degree of samples are low.If the degree of graphitization increase,the friction coefficient and amount of wear of samples increase too,the amount of wear is 2 to 3 times as the samples tested in the non-corrosive environment under pv value of 30MPa？m/s.The impregnated graphite,which friction coefficient is stable and graphitization degree is in mid level,such#2,is more appropriate to have a work in the corrosion conditions.In this paper,preparation and tribological properties especially in corrosive environment of the impregnated graphite is studied,the research conclusion can provide an experimental and theoretical basis for the selection and process improvement of graphite materials,and also provide some important design parameters for contact seal works in a corrosive environment.

Development of a PC-based Open Architecture Software-CNC System

As a key te..hnology in the field of advanced manufacturing, an open architecture controller is studied. In order to develop an open architecture software-CNC system on personal computer （PC） according to open modular architecture controllers （OMAC）. First, the software and hardware platform is chosen and software realization methodology for the CNC system is determined. Second, static modeling methods of an open architecture controller inclusive of object-oriented （OO） programming technology, dynamic link library （DLL） technology and system modules partition are investigated. Third, the dynamical behavioral modeling and the data flow representation of open architecture controller are discussed, which are both described in hierarchy fmite state machine （FSM） model. Fourth, a reusable software module model is established to develop software function module library. Finally, a 3-axis milling machine tool test-bed, named for HIT-CNC, is successfully designed by means of the constructed software function module library and the system configuring method. The experimental results show that, besides increasing the degree of reusability and openness, application of above-mentioned method- ology leads to significant decrease of development time as well as maintenance cost.

Realization Methodology of a 5-axis Spline Interpolator in an Open CNC System

By making use of the advantages of non-uniform rational B-spline （NURBS） curves to represent spatial curves, an instruction format with double NURBS curves suitable for 5-axis coordinated real-time interpolation is presented to replace the current 5-axis coordinated linear interpolation method defective in low-speed, low-accuracy and enormous numerical control （NC） files in sculptured surface machining. A generation procedure of the NC files with the presented format is introduced and the method to realize the interpolation in an open computer numerical control （CNC） system is developed by ourselves. These illustrated the feasibility of the proposed method and its capability of avoiding all the shortages of 5-axis linear interpolation method.

ANALYSIS OF TRANSMISSION CHARACTERISTICS OF COSINE GEAR DRIVE

Based on the mathematical model of a novel cosine gear drive, a few characteristics, such as the contact ratio, the sliding coefficient, and the contact and bending stresses, of this drive are analyzed. A comparison study of these characteristics with the involute gear drive is also carried out. The influences of design parameters including the number of teeth and the pressure angle on the contact and bending stresses are studied. The following conclusions are achieved： the contact ratio of the cosine gear drive is about 1.2 to 1.3, which is reduced by about 20% in comparison with that of the involute gear drive. The sliding coefficient of the cosine gear drive is smaller than that of the involute gear drive. The contact and bending stresses of the cosine gear drive are lower than those of the involute gear drive. The contact and bending stresses decrease with the growth of the number of teeth and the pressure angle.

A strategy to obtain a high-density and high-strength zirconia ceramic via ceramic injection molding by the modification of oleic acid

Despite its unique high efficiency and good environmental compatibility, the water-soluble binder system still encounters problems achieving a desired sintered part via ceramic injection molding because of the poor compatibility and the powder-binder segregation between ceramic powders and binders. The objective of this study was to obtain a sintered part with excellent properties by introducing a small quantity of oleic acid to the surface of zirconia powders before the mixing process. As opposed to many previous investigations that focused only on the rheological behavior and modification mechanism, the sintering behavior and densification process were systematically investigated in this study. With the modified powders, debound parts with a more homogeneous and smaller pore size distribution were fabricated. Also, a higher density and greater flexural strength were achieved in the sintered parts fabricated using the modified powders.

Laser machining of transparent brittle materials: from machining strategies to applications

Transparent brittle materials such as glass and sapphire are widely concerned and applied in consumer electronics, optoelectronic devices, etc. due to their excellent physical and chemical stability and good transparency. Growing research attention has been paid to developing novel methods for high-precision and high-quality machining of transparent brittle materials in the past few decades. Among the various techniques, laser machining has been proved to be an effective and flexible way to process all kinds of transparent brittle materials. In this review, a series of laser machining methods, e.g. laser full cutting, laser scribing, laser stealth dicing, laser filament, laser induced backside dry etching (LIBDE), and laser induced backside wet etching (LIBWE) are summarized. Additionally, applications of these techniques in micromachining, drilling and cutting, and patterning are introduced in detail. Current challenges and future prospects in this field are also discussed.

Comparative study on the interface and mechanical properties of T700/Al and M40/Al composites

T700/Al and M40/Al composites were fabricated by squeeze casting technology, and their interface and mechanical properties were investigated comparatively. The results showed that both of the composites were dense, and the fibers were distributed uniformly in aluminum matrix. Aluminum carbide （Al4C3） was observed on the interface of the two carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum （Cf/Al） composites. There was little Al4C3 with a length of 300-500 nm and a width of 30-60 nm in the M40/Al composite, whereas there was a great deal of Al4C3 with a length of 200-400 nm and a width of 100-200 nm in the T700/Al composite, due to a higher graphitization of M40Cf than T700Cf. The M40/Al composite showed a much higher tensile strength than the TT00/Al composite, and it was related to interracial bonding between carbon fibers and aluminum matrices.

Selection of Carrier Waveforms for PWM Inverter

In this paper the influence of different carrier waveforms upon the output characteristics of PWM inverter is described in detail. When a triangular carrier waveform is used in hard-switching PWM inverters, harmonics exist in the neighborhood of the output frequency of the inverter output voltage and current due to the dead time. The triangular carrier waveform used in soft-switching PWM inverter will cause difficulties in controlling resonance-trigger time, higher loss in the resonant circuit, and less utilization of the DC bus voltage. If a sawtooth carrier is used in hard-switching PWM inverter, there will be severe distortion in the current waveform. When sawtooth carriers with alternate positive and negative slopes are used in soft-switching PWM inverters, the resonance-trigger time is easy to control, and distortion in the output voltage and current caused by the dead time will not appear.

Application of Digital Image Analysis Method in Metric Screw Thread Metrology

This paper describes the use of computer-aided measurement for external metric screw threads. Thread parameters, including thread pitch, thread angle, pitch diameter and major diameter, were measured with CCD cameras and image analysis software. New technologies such as digital image processing were used to increase the efficiency of measurements. In this study, by reconstructing the toolmaker’s microscope, the computer-aided semi-automated measuring system was developed, which could evaluate the accuracy of screw thread profile. It is concluded that the measurement accuracy is comparable to that of traditional toolmaker’s microscope method. Key words screw threads - quality inspection - accuracy - digital image processing

Drilling Force and Temperature of Bone under Dry and Physiological Drilling Conditions

Many researches on drilling force and temperature have been done with the aim to reduce the labour intensiveness of surgery, avoid unnecessary damage and improve drilling quality. However, there has not been a systematic study of mid- and high-speed drilling under dry and physiological conditions（injection of saline）. Furthermore, there is no consensus on optimal drilling parameters. To study these parameters under dry and physiological drilling conditions, pig humerus bones are drilled with medical twist drills operated using a wide range of drilling speeds and feed rates. Drilling force and temperature are measured using a YDZ-II01W dynamometer and a NEC TVS-500EX thermal infrared imager, respectively, to evaluate internal bone damage. To evaluate drilling quality, bone debris and hole morphology are observed by SEM（scanning electron microscopy）. Changes in drilling force and temperature give similar results during drilling such that the value of each parameter peaks just before the drill penetrates through the osteon of the compact bone into the trabeculae of the spongy bone. Drilling temperatures under physiological conditions are much lower than those observed under dry conditions, while a larger drilling force occurs under physiological conditions than dry conditions. Drilling speed and feed rate have a significant influence on drilling force, temperature, bone debris and hole morphology. The investigation of the effect of drilling force and temperature on internal bone damage reveals that a drilling speed of 4500 r/min and a feed rate of 50 mm/min are recommended for bone drilling under physiological conditions. Drilling quality peaks under these optimal parameter conditions. This paper proposes the optimal drilling parameters under mid- and high-speed surgical drilling, considering internal bone damage and drilling quality, which can be looked as a reference for surgeons performing orthopedic operations.

Experiment and Simulations on Lubrication Performance of EMP Journal Bearing

In recent years, much attention has been devoted to the design and operation of bearings made of elastic metal plastic (EMP). The surface of the bearing bush is covered by a layer of polymer PTFE(polytetrafluoroethylene). The physical performances of the polymer are quite different from that of metal. It can reduce friction because of its lower surface energy, and it is more difficult for the fluid to be adhered. Consequently, the slip will exist at the oil-bush interface. The journal bearings made of this material are researched in this article. Through test, the existence of slip is proven and the equation of the slip velocity for the EMP journal bearing is established when shear stress up to a certain value. Thus, the classical Reynolds equation is modified. The lubrication mechanism is analyzed by some simulation results.

Rheological and Tribological Characteristics of the Synthesized Lubricants Derived from Vegetable Oils

The double bonds in the vegetable oils can be conjungated and Diels-Alder react when they are heated in the existence of the catalyst. The percent of the double bond will decrease and the oxidative stability of the vegetable oils can be ameliorated. Dimmer acid can react with different carbon chain length of alcohols to form dimmer acid esters. A series of dimmer acid esters were synthesized and their rheological characteristics （viscosity, viscosity index, pour point） and tribological characteristics （the coefficient of friction at different load, the characteristic of extreine pressure （ PB ）, the wear scare diameter （ D30min^196N ） were evaluated and analyzed. The results showed that the characteristics of Di-iso-octanol dimmer acid ester were the best among the synthesized dimmer esters. It＇ s a lubricant with good properties（the viscosity is 94.5 mm^2/s, the viscosity index is high up to 141 and the pour point is - 49℃ ）. It is a kind of newly interesthing ester type lubricant. Its rheological and tribological characteristics are even better than those of the slap-up synthesized lubricant--pentaerythritol esters （C7-9 acidate）. The FT-IR spectrophotometer was used to analyze the structure of the synthetic esters. Their IR spectra are the same as the typical IR spectrum of ester. The test indicated that Di-iso-octanol dimmer acid ester could be used as a kind of base lubricant with excellent quantity.

Optimal Design of Bicycle Frame Parameters Considering Biomechanics

With the development of technology and the change of market demands,the trend in middle and high grade bicycle manufacturing is developed toward small-volume,multi-species,and customer-oriented production.Therefore,human element should be fully considered in design so that the bicycle has the best cycling performance for the specific rider.Currently,customized design is difficult to achieve since feature parameters of the rider are not included in the design.The design of bicycle frame is the most important in bicycle design.The relative positions among the saddle,handlebar and central axis are defined as the bicycle three-pivot,they are the main parameters in bicycle frame design.In conventional bicycle design,frame parameters are merely relevant to bicycle types.On the basis of the principles of biomechanics and ergonomics knowledge,this paper presents a design method for bicycle three-pivot considering feature parameters of the rider by dynamic simulation.Firstly,a dynamic model of rider-bicycle system is built for a special rider,and a serial of simulation experiments is designed by uniform test method.Then,a mathematical model is built between the three-pivot position and the square of lower limb muscle stress by using simulation and regression analysis of the rider-bicycle system.The optimal three-pivot position parameters are obtained by setting the minimal of the square of the lower limb muscle stress as the objective.Therefore,the optimal parameters are gained for the specific rider.Finally,various results are gained for different riders based on the same design process.The function between feature parameters of the rider and the optimum three-pivot position parameters is built by regression.Bicycle design considering biomechanics can be divided into three main steps：calculating the three-pivot position,designing the geometrical structure of the bicycle frame and analyzing frame strength,and selecting appropriate parts and assembling the bicycle.Bicycle design considering biomechanics changes the conventional bicycle design and realizes customized design by considering human element in the design process.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of hot isostatically pressed cermets with TiN coatings

To increase the adhesion strength between the coating and the substrate, sintered Ti（C,N）-based cermets were selected and deposited with monolayer TiN using a multiarc ion-plating technique; subsequently, hot isostatic pressing （HIPhag） treatment was performed at 1000℃ using nitrogen pressure up to 110 MPa. The mechanical properties of cermets after a coating process and subsequent HIPing treatment have been evaluated with respect to the hardness, the residual stress, and the coating adhesion. The results show that atter the HIPing process, there was a higher increase ha critical load ha the TiN-coated cermets with lower surface roughness compared with those with higher surface roughness. In all cases, the residual stress was found to be compressive. The effects of substrate surface roughness and posttreatment on the adhesion strength of the coatings were thus investigated. It was also fotmd that the HIPing posttreatment process is well suited for hacreasing the adhesion strength between the coating and the substrate.

Effect of surface roughness on femtosecond laser ablation of 4H-SiC substrates

Ablation threshold is an important concept in the study of femtosecond laser micro-and nano-machining.In this paper,the ablation experiments of three kinds of surface roughness 4H-Si C substrates irradiated by femtosecond laser were carried out.The feature thresholds were systematically measured for three surface roughness Si C substrates and found in the modification and annealing regions ranging from coincidence(R_(a)=0.5 nm)to a clear demarcation(R_(a)=5.5 nm),eventually being difficult to identify the presence of the former(R_(a)=89 nm).Under multi-pulse laser irradiation,oriented ripple structures were generated in the annealing region,where deep subwavelength ripples(about 110 nm,Λ≈0.2λ)can be generated above substrates with surface roughness higher than 5.5 nm.We investigated the effect of surface roughness on the ablation morphology,ablation threshold,and periodic structures of femtosecond laser ablation of 4H-Si C substrates,while the ablation threshold was tended to decrease and stabilize with the increase of pulse number N≥500.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of 2D woven Gr_f/Al composite

A 2D woven graphite fibers reinforced aluminum matrix composite with 50%Grf (volume fraction) was fabricated by the squeeze-casting technology, and its microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. The results show that the composite is dense, the graphite fibers are distributed uniformly in the composite. TEM observation indicates the bonding between fiber and matrix is good and little interfacial reaction is found in the Grf/Al composite. This is attributed to the better stability of graphite fiber and the fabrication process minimizing the contact time between fiber with matrix at high temperatures. The 2D woven Grf/Al composite exhibites better mechanical properties with tensile strength, bending strength and elastic modulus of 366.2, 519.7 and 110.7 GPa, respectively. SEM images suggeste that the fracture is irregular and some pulled-out fibers are found, which indicats that the high strength of fiber is not degraded.