Title: Dielectric elastomer transducers (DETs) for biomedical applications

Introduction

Disorders associated with excessive swelling of the legs are common. This swelling can be associated with pain, the production of varicose veins, reduced blood pressure (hypotension) when standing and cause light-headedness, fainting and falls. These events can significantly affect quality of life and, in severe cases, lead to death. It is well documented that up to 30% of the elderly have standing hypotension. Approximately 1 in 62 Canadians suffer with swelling (about 7 million people in North America. Swelling is common during pregnancy ranks highly as one of the causes of varicose veins. Control blood flow and volume in the lower limbs of spinal cord injury patients is also a health risk for the 86,000 Canadians living with spinal cord injury. Current physical remedies to these disorders include air compression leg massagers, which do not allow for ambulatory use, and compression stockings, which attempt to limit blood pooling and fluid build-up in the legs during walking. However, neither of these devices is able to adapt to the changing physiological conditions of the patient while compression stockings can provide only passive assistance to oedema. The main goal of this interdisciplinary project is therefore to develop a novel smart-technology-assisted therapy to effectively assist with fluid volume control in the legs of humans with excessive swelling or standing hypotension. Our objectives are to develop the technology and therapeutic application protocols required to provide effective blood pressure and volume control in three initial groups: spinal cord injury, pregnant women and the elderly. We will develop smart stockings whose compressive pressure can be modulated through external stimuli. These stockings will be embedded with Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEA), which are inexpensive smart materials that can deform through electrical activation. We propose an innovative solution that can potentially drastically alleviate cardiovascular disorders caused by swelling and chronic or temporary standing hypotension which can be used both in medical and domestic settings. The proposed technology is potentially inexpensive and portable.

Technology

Promising recent developments in materials science and processing have enabled the efforts on the design and development of novel “artificial muscles”, using DEAs. These polymeric actuators are capable of sizable active strains (deformation of 10-200%) in response to electrical stimulus. They have interesting properties such as down-scalability, low cost, and be used both as actuators and sensors. DEAs are activated by an external electric field and Coulomb forces. They require typically a high voltage (up to 10V/um) but are very simple and reliable.

Objectives

Focus of this project is to develop a novel stockings embedded with dielectric elastomer transducers (DETs). The coop student involved in this project will assist in some of the following tasks:

1)    Improve reliability of DETs

2)    Improve safety of DETs

3)    Develop software to control DETs

4)    Develop electronics to control DETs

5)    Develop set up to test DETs

6)    Integrate stockings with DETs

7)    Assist tests with volunteers

The student will work with the assistance of graduate students and/or Post doctorate fellows.

Prerequisite:  at least 100 credit hours and CGPA>2.8.  

Notes: 1) Minimum honorarium is provided (exception: NSERC URSA); 2) The ideal candidate would like to contribute in applied research and be willing to work on a mechatronic project. However, students with expertise in at least one of the above mentioned six subsystems are invited to apply;

NB: There is a strong possibility to be involved in the publication of a scientific article.