Arrays of EAP micro-actuators for single-cell stretching applications

S. Akbari; M. Niklaus; H. Shea

doi:10.1117/12.847125

9 April 2010 Arrays of EAP micro-actuators for single-cell stretching applications

S. Akbari, M. Niklaus, H. Shea

Proceedings Volume 7642, Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) 2010; 76420H (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.847125
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2010, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Mechanical stimuli are critical for the development and maintenance of most tissues such as muscles, cartilage, bones and blood vessels. The commercially available cell culture systems replicating the in vivo environment are typically based on simple membrane cell-stretching equipment, which can only measure the average response of large colonies of cells over areas of greater than one cm². We present here the conceptual design and the complete fabrication process of an array of 128 Electro-Active Polymer (EAP) micro-actuators which are uni-axially stretched and hence used to impose unidirectional strain on single cells, make it feasible to do experiments on the cytomechanics of individual cells. The Finite Element Method is employed to study the effect of different design parameters on achievable strain, leading to the optimized design. Compliant gold electrodes are deposited by low-energy ion implantation on both sides of a PDMS membrane, as this technique allows making electrodes that support large strain with minimal stiffening of the elastomer. The membrane is bonded to a rigid support, leading to an array of 100×100 μm² EAP actuators.

Citation Download Citation

S. Akbari, M. Niklaus, and H. Shea "Arrays of EAP micro-actuators for single-cell stretching applications", Proc. SPIE 7642, Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) 2010, 76420H (9 April 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.847125

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