Creation of New Research Field and Industry Using Thermoelectric Actuators

将智能执行器引入到各种医疗设备中，不仅可以降低医疗操作中的风险，还可以减轻患者的痛苦，因此成为当前医学研究的重要课题。这种智能医疗系统不断增长的需求要求在更高的生活质量方面开发新的执行器。该研究项目的主要目标是建立基于形状记忆合金(SMA)和Peltier模块这两个智能元件的医疗系统，考虑到它们的应用t**自适应导管和人工肌肉。形状记忆Alioys自20世纪60年代初被发现以来，在工程领域引起了极大的兴趣。它们的特性、形状记忆效应(SME)和伪弹性被建议用于热力传感器、执行器和其他智能系统。在传感器和执行器系统中使用SMA的最大优势是它们可以是…通过热机能转换操作更加活跃，因此这一事实导致了简单的设计。它们的其他特点：紧凑、轻便和大的力/重量比使它们特别适合用于医疗设备。Peltier模块具有在施加直流电流时快速传递热量的功能。它被广泛应用于特殊的电子应用，如冷却红外探测器和固态激光器。SMA和Peltier模块的组合可以产生具有高频响应的新执行器，这是传统SM执行器的缺点。本文描述了人工心脏系统用自适应导管和人工肌肉的发展过程，并给出了各种实验和模拟所获得的主要结果，包括：a)评价了用于主动导管的热电致动器的热机械性能，b)评价了用于人工心脏肌肉的热电致动器的热机械性能，以及致动器系统的优化操作。研究项目取得的主要成果概括如下：a)研制了一种用于外加电流和致动器温度的精确控制系统。b)一种具有弯曲和扭转功能的SMA-Peltier元件组合导管，C)研制出频率响应高达1赫兹的SMA-Peltier元件组合人工心肌。d)采用考虑物理性质的一维热传导模型，数值模拟将给出操作系统的最佳条件。较少

The introduction of intelligent actuators into various medical devices can not only reduce the risk in medical operations, but also decrease th* affliction of patients, therefore becomes an important issue in recent medical research. The continuously increasing needs of such intelligen medical systems require developments of new actuators in aspects of the higher quality of life. The main goal of this research project is t** establish medical systems based on two intelligent elements; shape memory alloys (SMAs) and Peltier modules, considering their applications t** adaptive catheters and artificial muscles.Shape Memory Alioys have attracted large interest in engineering fields since their discovery at the beginning of 1960s. Their particula* properties ; the shape memory effect (SME) and the pseudoelasticity are proposed to be used for thermomechanical sensors, actuators and othe* intelligent systems. The great advantage of using SMAs in sensor and actuator systems is that they can be … More operated actively through th* thermomechanical energy conversion, therefore this fact leads to simple designs. Their other features ; compact, lightweight and larg* force-to-weight ratio make them specially suitable to be used in medical devices. A Peltier module has a function io transfer heat rapidly whe* DC current is applied. It is widely used in specialized electronics applications, such as cooling infrared detectors and solid-state lasers. Th* combination of SMAs and Peltier modules can produce new actuators with high frequency responses, which is a drawback in conventional SM actuators. This report describes the development process of the adaptive catheters and the artificial muscles for artificial heart systems and show* main results obtained from various experiments and simulations including, a) evaluations of thermomechanical properties of the therrnoelectric actuators for active catheters, b) evaluations of thermomechanical properties of the thermoelectrical actuators for artificial heart muscles, and optimal operation of the systems for the actuators.Main achievements attained in the research project can be summarized as followings :a) A precise control system for applied current and the sensing/monitoring of temperatures of actuators has been developed.b) An SMA-Peltier elements combined catheter, which possesses functions of both the bending and twisting, has been developed.c) An SMA-Peltier elements combined artificial heart muscle with a frequency response of up to 1HZ has been developed.d) Numerical simulation will give us optimal conditions for operating system, with using one-dimensional heat conduction model considering t** physical properties. Less