Hair cell sensing with encapsulated interface bilayers

Stephen A. Sarles; Donald J. Leo

doi:10.1117/12.880571

23 March 2011 Hair cell sensing with encapsulated interface bilayers

Stephen A. Sarles, Donald J. Leo

Proceedings Volume 7975, Bioinspiration, Biomimetics, and Bioreplication; 797509 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.880571
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2011, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

A gel-supported lipid bilayer formed at the base of an artificial hair is used as the transduction element in a membrane-based artificial haircell sensor inspired by the structure and function of mammalian outer hair cells. This paper describes the initial fabrication and characterization of a bioderived, soft-material alternative to previous artificial haircells that used the transduction properties of synthetic materials for flow and touch sensing. Under an applied air flow, the artificial hair structure vibrates, triggering a picoamp-level electrical current across the bilayer. Experimental analysis of this mechanoelectrical transduction process supports the hypothesis that the oscillating current is produced by a time-varying change in the capacitance of the membrane caused by the vibration of the hair. Specifically, frequency analysis of both the motion of the hair and the measured current show that both phenomena occur at similar frequencies, which suggests that changes in capacitance occur as a result of membrane bending during excitation.

Citation Download Citation

Stephen A. Sarles and Donald J. Leo "Hair cell sensing with encapsulated interface bilayers", Proc. SPIE 7975, Bioinspiration, Biomimetics, and Bioreplication, 797509 (23 March 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.880571

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