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In this paper, pixelated Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) layer embedded in two carbonyl iron-filled silicon rubber (CISR) sheets are used for design of broadband microwave absorber in frequency r...

Development of stretchable wearable devices requires essential materials with high level of mechanical and electrical properties as well as scalability. Recently, silicone rubber-based elastic polymers with incorporated conductive fillers (metal particles, carbon nanomaterials, etc.) have been shown to the most promising materials for enabling both high electrical performance and stretchability, but the technology to make materials in scalable fabrication is still lacking. Here, we propose a facile method for fabricating a wearable device by directly coating essential electrical material on fabrics. The optimized material is implemented by the noncovalent association of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), carbon black (CB), and silicon rubber (SR). The e-textile sensor has the highest gauge factor (GF) up to 34.38 when subjected to 40% strain for 5,000 cycles, without any degradation. In particular, the fabric sensor is fully operational even after being immersed in water for 10 days or stirred at room temperature for 8 hours. Our study provides a general platform for incorporating other stretchable elastic materials, enabling the future development of the smart clothing manufacturing.

Physical matching methods are a family of well-known methods that are utilized in order to determine whether two pieces of a tearable/breakable material used to be one object. When performing physical match of polymers, it is sometimes difficult to reach an unambiguous conclusion. This is due to various reasons. One is when the tear/fracture resides in an inaccessible or hidden-from-view region of the piece. Another is when the shape of the tear/fracture at the object's tear/fracture line is insufficient for deducing a complete match. Third is deficiency of material along this line. These are examples of processes where the line is affected so drastically, so that a match renders impossible. Specifically, when addressing elastic materials, the tear/fracture line may even be squashed. This may also be a reason for difficulty in performing a physical match. In this paper, a method is proposed where a match is alternatively achieved by means of photographic comparison of marks on the surface topography of the pieces-in-question. Comparisons of pairs of torn pieces of silicon rubber were made. The procedure involved photography of the surface topography the pieces. Then, the photographs were horizontally mirror-flipped. Lastly, a comparison was made between two photographs: a photograph of one piece and a mirror-flipped photograph of the opposite piece. The results show that after comparing the pieces to one another, only one unique pair turned out to be positively matched. Using the proposed method, not only the comparison is done by a more informative method (comparing to physical match), it is also more convenient, faster, less expensive, and technically simpler.

The vulcanising response and mechanism of the silicon rubber embedded polyarylacetylene prepolymers (PAAP) were investigated to determine the proper vulcanising conditions that could be used to obt...

Silicon rubber insulators (SRIs) are widely used in power transmission lines as line support and as insulation between the line and the tower. Given that the aging of SRIs threatens the safety and stability of power grids, the accurate assessment of the aging status of SRIs is crucial. In this study, a portable unilateral magnetic resonance (UMR) measuring system for the nondestructive testing of the aging status of SRIs was proposed. The proposed NMR measurement system includes a mini UMR sensor and a measurement circuit. Details of the mini UMR sensor structure and low-cost circuit design were discussed. The Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill sequence was used to record the 1H transverse relaxation curves of SRI sheds. Inverse Laplace transformation was employed to obtain the T2 distribution, and two peaks in the T2 distribution curve were observed. The long T2 component was selected to quantify the aging degree because of its stability compared with the short T2 component. To eliminate the inaccuracy of measurement introduced by the different chemical structures of SRIs produced by different companies, the aging status of the SRIs was represented by the changes in T2 between the surface and internal materials of the SRI.

We report an interesting but rare 2D ECHO image of a ‘ball and cage’ prosthetic mitral valve resembling a ’starry sky’ pattern, possibly secondary to degeneration of the silicon rubber ball. In addition, a unique rotatory axial motion of the ball was noted explained probably by hemodynamics based on Bernoulli’s principle. There is no conclusive evidence to support whether they represent a normal finding or an abnormal hemodynamic or structural pathology.

“Barbed snore surgery” (BSS) represents one of the last innovation for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) surgical management. Although this technique represents an effective and minimally invasive surgery, it is not still widespread in many ENT centers. The aim of our study was to develop an inexpensive surgical simulator useful to expedite the surgical learning curve for BSS in untrained ENT surgeons. The simulator is a simple model composed of a manually shaped silicone palate (3 × 4 × 1 cm) fixed on a resin skeleton (21 × 16 × 12 cm) using a transparent silicon rubber. The mandible is fixed bilaterally with the aid of two screws allowing for modular inter-incisive distance. Barbed anterior pharyngoplasty (BAPh) was readily performed on the simulator to show the feasibility of this BSS model. All surgical steps were carried out determining a lift and a shortening of the palate as in real surgery. This is the first surgical model that provides a realistic, easily repeatable training in the performance of BSS. Our BSS surgical model is very inexpensive with a cost of approximately 19.25$ dollars and it is manufactured to facilitate a worldwide diffusion of this promising palatal surgery for OSAS.

Asymmetry is a major problem in repaired unilateral cleft lip (UCL). One of the important manifestations of this is the asymmetry of the vermilion. The aim of this study was to correlate the severity of the asymmetry in the vermilion to the size of the alveolar defect. Twenty patients aged between 6 and 18 months with complete unilateral cleft lip, alveolus, and palate were included. An impression of each patient's alveolus at the time of cheiloplasty was taken using silicon rubber base material, and a study cast was prepared. The width of the cleft alveolus was measured on these casts using a transparent grid. Frontal photographs were taken at 6 months postoperative and vermilion symmetry was measured as the ratio between the cleft and non-cleft sides. The results obtained in this study showed a direct correlation between the size of the alveolar defect and the vermilion symmetry in repaired UCL. The wider the cleft alveolus and greater the antero-posterior discrepancy, the greater is the vermilion asymmetry. The asymmetry of the vermilion in UCL after repair is directly dependent on the size of the alveolar defect. The alveolar discrepancy causes 'in-rolling' of the vermilion on the cleft side and affects the vermilion symmetry.

Nanoparticles are small objects that their size, in at least one dimension, is between 1 and 100 nm. Nanomaterials characteristics are completely different from larger particles. Therefore, Nanotechnology can be used to enhance the properties of many products. Although it is possible to use nanotechnology to improve the performance and life cycle of various electric components, Alborz Electric Power Distribution Company efforts have been focused on using TiO2 nanoparticles in street lamps as well as medium-voltage silicon rubber insulators. The properties of titanium dioxide nanoparticle are presented. Then the applications of this nanomaterial in insulators and lamps were explained. Finally, the possible impacts of using it on environment were discussed.

Ultrasound is widely used in diagnostic imaging, therefore quality control(QC) of ultrasound images is important. One of the QC parameter is spatial resolution that can be analyzed by calculating the distance between two nearby object in the tangential direction of radiation. The image that is produced by the Curved Array transducer will produce a circular shaped image and the coordinates of the object isn’t in the cartesian coordinate system because it adapts to the surface of the transducer. The image must be transformed with a circle equation approach to calculate the distance between two nearby object. This study was using a Mindray 3D ultrasound model: DP-10 with Transducer model: 35C50EB, and phantom instruments made from a mixture of 99 ml silicon rubber and 1 ml catalyst. The acquisition data used a fixed frequency of 4.5 MHz with a gain variation of 168 dB, 182 dB, 202 dB and a depth variation of 3.3 cm, 4.9 cm, 5.7 cm. The result found that the measurement of objects in A area had an error of 0.8963%(0.087 mm),B area was 1.2979%(0.0779 mm), and C area was 2.6296%( 0.1183 mm). The values obtained still meet the standards set by American Association of Physicist in Medicine(AAPM).

Several failures of high-voltage and extra-high-voltage cable joints have been reported in China. It is postulated that improper pre-expansion of the cable joints before installation on the cables played a major role in the breakdowns. In this study, the researchers used two 110 k V silicon rubber premolded cable joints as experimental samples. They were subjected to different expansion rates before installation onto a cross-linked polyethylene cable cross-linked polyethylene. Two different specifications of expanding tube were used to expand the joints. Then, withstand voltage tests and partial discharge (PD) tests were done at room temperature and high temperature (95 to 100°C) according to IEC 60885–2. Statistical parameters and patterns were recorded during the test. The joint assembled with an improper expansion rate during pre-expansion installation failed to pass the PD test. The PD behavior was clearly affected by the voltage and temperature during the test. On the basis of these results, the authors propose recommendations for the installation of 110 kV silicone rubber premolded cable joints.

In order to meet the needs of the smart wearable devices for strain and curvature detection, a flexible strain/curvature sensor with simple structure and convenient manufacture technology is designed by using silicon rubber and gallium-indium-tin alloy. The basic structure of the sensor is proposed and the working principle of the soft sensor is demonstrated. Moreover, the mathematical model of this strain/curvature sensor is defined to analysis the corresponding relationship between strain/curvature and the rate of resistance change. Finally, the production process of the experimental prototype system is given and the discussion of the proposed structure is illustrated.

Objective:Intranasal splints have long been utilised as a post-operative adjunct in septoplasty, intended to reduce the risk of adhesions and haematoma formation, and to maintain alignment during healing.Methods:A Medline literature review of the history and evolution of intranasal splint materials and designs was performed. Advantages and disadvantages of various splints are discussed.Results:Intranasal splints fashioned from X-ray film were first reported in 1955. Since then, a variety of materials have been utilised, including polyethylene coffee cup lids, samarium cobalt magnets and dental utility wax. Most contemporary splints are produced from silicon rubber or polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon). Designs have varied in thickness, flexibility, shape, absorption and the inclusion of built-in airway tubes. Future directions in splint materials and designs are discussed.Conclusion:Intranasal splints have steadily evolved since 1955, with numerous novel innovations. Despite their simplicity, they play an important role in nasal surgery and will continue to evolve over time.

Aim Within the Kampo medical system, there exists a system specific to Japan of abdominal diagnosis called abdominal palpation, or Fukushin, which is used to obtain a holistic picture, called an abdominal pattern, of the physical indications in the abdominal area. In order to educate students in this system, we have devised and continued to develop a Fukushin simulator, incorporating various improvements as appropriate. The present study describes some recent additions to the model with the aim of increasing its applicability across a broad range of abdominal patterns. Methods The simulator is modeled on the abdomen of a healthy adult man, from which we took a mold using flexible silicon resin. To increase the resistance in some areas, we used urethane foam mixed with silicon rubber or attached parts consisting of silicon rubber; to reduce the resistance to pressure in other areas, we used urethane foam in small quantities. Results By such adjustments, we were able to reproduce patterns seen frequently in abdominal palpation, that is, stuffiness and rigidity below the heart, rectus muscle tension, fullness in the chest and hypochondrium, and lower abdominal fullness, each marked by localized increases in resistance to touch; and lower abdominal numbness, marked by a localized reduction in resistance to touch. Conclusion It is expected that the simulator will make an important contribution not only to medical education but also to the standardization of abdominal diagnosis.

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) process can be used to produce the rapid tooling directly or indirectly. However, rapid tooling application demands good surface finish since the poor surface finish of FDM parts has become a limitation for its tool application. So there is need to improve the surface finish of FDM made tools. In this study, surface roughness of FDM tools are drastically reduced by a post processing technique called chemical treatment process. Surface finish was improved by filling the gap between layers by diffusion of parent material. Thus FDM made tools can be used as direct as well as indirect tools after the chemical treatment. Comparative study was made between Silicon Rubber Moulding and FDM Tooling towards the cost, time, life of mould, quality and feasibility aspects. It was found that FDM tooling is more economical, easy to use, reduced cycle time, improved quality, long life of mould and more feasibility towards complex parts etc.

PURPOSE. The aim of this study was to evaluate the repeatability of the digitizing of silicon rubber impressions of abutment teeth by using a white light scanner and compare differences in repeatability between different abutment teeth types. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Silicon rubber impressions of a canine, premolar, and molar tooth were each digitized 8 times using a white light scanner, and 3D surface models were created using the point clouds. The size of any discrepancy between each model and the corresponding reference tooth were measured, and the distribution of these values was analyzed by an inspection software (PowerInspect 2012, Delcamplc., Birmingham, UK). Absolute values of discrepancies were analyzed by the Kruskal–Wallis test and multiple comparisons (α=.05). RESULTS. The discrepancy between the impressions for the canine, premolar, and molar teeth were 6.3 μm (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.4-7.2), 6.4 μm (95% CI, 5.3-7.6), and 8.9 μm (95% CI, 8.2-9.5), respectively. The discrepancy of the molar tooth impression was significantly higher than that of other tooth types. The largest variation (as mean [SD]) in discrepancies was seen in the premolar tooth impression scans: 26.7 μm (95% CI, 19.7-33.8); followed by canine and molar teeth impressions, 16.3 μm (95% CI, 15.317.3), and 14.0 μm (95% CI, 12.3-15.7), respectively. CONCLUSION. The repeatability of the digitizing abutment teeth’s silicon rubber impressions by using a white light scanner was improved compared to that with a laser scanner, showing only a low mean discrepancy between 6.3 μm and 8.9 μm, which was in an clinically acceptable range. Premolar impression with a long and narrow shape showed a significantly larger discrepancy than canine and molar impressions. Further work is needed to increase the digitizing performance of the white light scanner for deep and slender impressions. [J Adv Prosthodont 2013;5:452-6]

Hollow glass microsphere (HGM), as one kind of novel inorganic material, is widely used. Its most obvious feature is the hollow structure which brings excellent heat isolation property and light density. However in practice, the fracture of the HGM is inevitable and there are no enough systematic studies about the influence of broken HGM as filler right now, moreover it is not easy to detect the percentage of broken HGM in products either. In this work, the matrix is silicon rubber (SR) and the filler is the mixture of different ratio of intact and broken HGM. Such properties of the composite materials, like the density, the mechanical property and thermal conductivity, are detected. It turns out with the increase of broken HGM, the density, thermal conductivity and the mechanical property enhance too. And by comparing such data of another composite material, whose ratio of broken HGM is unknown, with previous data, the percentage of broken HGM in that material would be estimated. And it is supported by following experiments.

This paper proposes a haptic module for simulation of catheters used in GI (gastrointestinal) endoscopy. The designed haptic interface provides translational force feedback in one degree-of-freedom using the pneumatic module made of silicon rubber. The pneumatic module has a cylindrical shape with a hollow space inside. The space inside of the module can be filled with air activated by a syringe pump. The module grasps the catheter traveling through the module. The syringe pump is controlled to insufflate or remove air into the space in real-time. Experimental results show that the feedback force and the amount of injected air to the module have a linear relationship. The proposed interface is able to generate necessary force feedback during catheter simulation.

Past sensory experience can influence present perception. We studied the effect of adaptation in haptic softness perception. Participants compared two silicon rubber stimuli, a reference and a comparison stimulus, by indenting them simultaneously with the index fingers of their two hands and decided which one felt softer. In adaptation conditions the index finger that explored the reference stimulus had previously been adapted to another rubber stimulus. The adaptation stimulus was indented 5 times with a force of >15i?źN, thus the two index fingers had a different sensory past. In baseline conditions there was no previous adaptation. We measured the Points of Subjective Equality PSEs of one reference stimulus to a set of comparison stimuli. We used four different adaptation stimuli, one was harder, two were softer and one had approximately the same compliance as compared to the reference stimulus. PSEs shifted as a function of the compliance of the adaptation stimulus: the reference was perceived to be softer when the finger had been adapted to a harder stimulus and it was perceived to be harder after adaptation to a softer stimulus. We conclude that recent sensory experience causes a shift of haptically perceived softness away from the softness of the adaptation stimulus. The finding that perceived softness is susceptible to adaptation suggests that there might be neural channels tuned to different softness values and softness is an independent primary perceptual quality.

Pedometer, tri-axial accelerometer, and measuring system of generated during metabolism have mainly been used to measure the quantity of motion and inhaling capacity while walking or running. However, these sensors are heavy, expensive, and uncomfortable to wear and difficult to check the work-out condition. In an attempt to overcome these limitations, a soft, flexible, and lightweight piezoelectric polymer-based sensor has been prepared. The PVDF film sensor with thin silver-paste layers in both sides was coated with silicon rubber to amplify stress by the external power such as tension and pressure. Thus, movement of thigh muscles was monitored and physical activity was predicted during walking and running, with an elastic belt embedded with the prepared PVDF film sensor, which was named as a physiological sensing belt (PSB), strapped on the thigh.

This study made a specimen (contact surface size: ) with silicon rubber for low voltage cable with 50 phr silica filler. The electrification voltage of electrostatics were measured for different sizes of contact surface with the applied voltage of 10kV and the environmental settings of temperature () and humidity (40~80%). The following conclusions were made. The electrification voltage of electrostatics decreased as the humidity increased. The electrification voltage of electrostatics increased as the temperature increased. The larger the surface size, the higher the electrification voltage of electrostatics. The property of the material had more effect on the relaxation time than the humidity.

Two kinds of sheet type impact force sensor are developed : frictionless impact sensor and multi-contact impact sensor. Sensor structure consists of a main body and cover member. Main body of the sensor is made from piezoelectric film (PVDF) and silicon rubber. Frictionless impact sensor is wrapped by a flexible cover member. Oil layer is placed in between the main body and cover member. Multi-contact impact sensor has solid cover plates on both surfaces of the main body. The solid cover plates play a role to transmit impact force to main body by a mechanism of multi-contact loading. The performance of the impact sensor is examined through experiment by applying several impact forces using hand hammer, hand-grip and screw driver head pressing. A good linear relationships between applied impact force and sensor output are observed for both sensors.

By analysing the formation mechanism of human facial expressions and summary of existing research about facial expression robot, the paper summarized the facial expression robot, developed three technical difficulties, and proposed the improvements according to the technical difficulties. Based on the above, the paper presented one facial robot with eight facial expressions of basic emotions. In mechanical part, the mechanical structure with 20 degrees of freedom is designed; in control part, SSC32 V2 is used to control 20 servo coordination movements; in simulation modelling part, a special silicon rubber material is developed and the soft part of material is used to as the skin of facial expression robot. The facial expression of robot substantially increased the extent of such robot simulation.

A UV imprint lithography tool has been developed for micro/nano-scale patterning in an extremely large area, i.e., ~300x400mm^2. To achieve high pattern fidelity, residual-layer thickness uniformity, and an air bubble-free layer in a large area, the UV imprint tool has several main components including a silicon rubber uniform pressurizer, a large area UV-LED module, a vacuum pump, a chuck module, etc. Contact and structural analyses have been performed using commercial FEM packages such as LS-DYNA and ANSYS. The developed tool has been tested, and its performance indices including pattern fidelity and residual-layer thickness uniformity have been measured to be ~97% and ~90%, respectively.

Electroforming is a kind of metal molding technology. After gilding on the possession object(conductivity, nonconductivity) separate it with possession object and produce a part or duplicate. This process has an excellent ability of duplicating detailed figure. To simplify the manufacturing process of a rotary screen, this study was adopted electroforming technology and produced silicon rubber mandrel. Furthermore, to indicate the optimal condition for the acquisition of high-qualified rotary screen product, the experiment was executed with pH, time, sulfamate nickel solution according to density which were the main factors to decide the condition, then compared it with the product made by original "S" company in Holland. As a result, the figure of hole was more obvious and correct. Also the open size increased by more than 2-3%.

FIGURE 1. Lowell Edwards and Dr Albert Starr. Innovation usually occurs with the joining together of many elements across disciplines and scientific boundaries rather than the chance discovery of some new basic knowledge. The artificial valve was no exception and resulted from an intense and focused collaboration between me, then a very young heart surgeon, and Lowell Edwards, an elderly retired mechanical engineer (Figure 1). It was 1958, and our clinical open-heart program in Portland, Oregon, was in its start-up phase. We had an active animal laboratory and could take on the project. Edwards wanted to develop an artificial heart, and I suggested one valve at a time, starting with the mitral. Individual aortic leaflets were already available, but mitral valve disease was a huge unsolved problem. We started with the pooling of our knowledge and developed an inventory of what we already knew. We did not have to really invent a valve— we needed only to find the best materials and the appropriate geometry. Only a few materials were available for human implantation: Dacron and Teflon as used in vascular grafts; Silicon rubber (Silastic; Dow Corning, Midland, Mich) as used in shunts for hydrocephalus; acrylic as used in the Hufnagel valve designed for the descending aorta; and stainless steel and Stellite 21 (Vitallium; Dentsply Austenal, York, Pa) used in orthopedics. For use in animals, the start-up questions were as follows

The German chemical maker Wacker Chemie will open its first U.S. lab for the three-dimensional printing of silicon rubber later this year. The lab, in Ann Arbor, Mich., will cost several million do...

目的：我々は熱変形の比較的ないシリコーンゴムやアクリル樹脂等の歯科で使われている材料のマウスガード（MG）用材料としての応用に着目しており，鉄球自由落下衝撃試験を行い，市販MG 材料との性能比較を行ったので報告する．方法：試験材料は市販MG 用材料2 種MG，MG2，シリコーンゴム材料2種SL1，SL2，及びアクリル 樹脂材料2種RE1，RE2の計6種である．直径15 mmの鉄球（13.8 gf）を600 mm上方から自由落下させて加撃し，最大荷重（P1）ならびに加撃開始から最大荷重までの時間（P1-t）を算出し，分散分析およびScheffe の多重比較を行った．結果：6試料のP1間には統計学的有意差が認められ，RE1 ≈ RE2 ＞ SL1 ＞ MG1 ≈ MG2 ＞ SL2であった． 同様に6試料のP1-t間にも統計学的有意差が認められ，RE1 ≈ RE2 ＜ SL1 ≈ MG2 ≈ MG1 ＜ SL2であった．結論：本実験結果より，市販MG 材料よりSL1は若干衝撃吸収能が低く，SL2は衝撃吸収能が高いことが示唆された．またアクリル樹脂材料は衝撃吸収能に乏しく，単体でMG用材料として用いるには問題があった．

Permalloy composite microwave absorbers mixed with silicone for mobile phones and the e ects of the thickness of the samples on the absorption were studied. A permalloy EM wave absorber with the ratio of permalloy : silicon rubber = 60 : 40 wt% showed {3.15 dB, {5.0 dB, {6.09 dB, {4.57 dB and {4.39 dB at 1.8 GHz for 0.7 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.6 mm and 1.7 mm thickness, respectively. We suggest permalloy for use as a EM wave absorber in the S-band and the EM wave absorber fabricated with thickness of 1.3 mm has an absorption ability {6.09 dB in the frequency range of 1.4 2 GHz.

The world's first 10-way micro switching valve chip as one of Biochemical IC chip was developed successfully. This switching valve chip has a special rotary mechanism with the silicon rubber leak-preventions and the precise auto-positioning mechanism. This chip succeeded to switch ten outlets from one inlet without dead volume under high leakage pressure (>700 kPa). Since the micro fabrication was made by our original “hybrid microstereolithography” (hybrid-IH process), the micro assembling and bonding are not needed. This chip is generally useful for various kinds of micro chemical devices.

We have developed the 10-way micro switching valve chip for micro dispenser system. This chip succeeded to switch ten outlets from one inlet without dead volume under high leakage pressure (> 700kPa). The valve was operated manually to confirm the switching principle with the rotary mechanism. As the next step, the micro solenoid drive switching valve chip was developed for simple and quick operation. Positioning and detection of present location at the outlet were achieved with the latch mechanism without necessity of positioning. To build the solenoid into the chip, the valve design parameters (the height of the silicon rubber ring and the compression force to the rotor) affecting the valve performance (the leakage pressure and the rotation force of the rotor) were optimized.

Insulators plays a vital role in electrical transmission line. It gives a support and separate electrical conductors and these insulators are most commonly made up of porcelain. These insulators gets polluted when they are placed near different atmospheric condition like coastal, desert etc. Now-a-days porcelain insulators are replaced by the silicon rubber insulators due its hydrophobicity property. The design parameters of silicon rubber insulator such as creepage factor, profile factor also contributes the pollution flashover. In order toassess the pollution severity level and to prevent the unpredictable flashover voltage, it is important to predict the flashover before it takes place. In this paper, four different types of 11 kV silicon rubber insulators were taken and solid layer method was used in artificial pollution test, in which sodium chloride and kaolin are used to induce the conductivity. Using even rising method, the flashover voltage has been obtained for different equivalent salt deposit density (ESDD) values. By using artificial neural network(ANN) and least square support vector machine (LS-SVM) flashover voltage has been predicted with the input parameters such as height, creepage length, diameter and ESDD. Finally, it is concluded that the LS-SVM approach has better ability to assist the flashover voltage prediction than ANN.

This research highly focuses towards development of a Shape Memory Alloy based micro valve and actuation using LASER. Numerous Micro valve designs have been reported with a variety of actuation mechanisms such as piezoelectric, silicon rubber, etc. [1], but the use of these micro valves have been limited. Here LASER is used as actuation medium because of noncontact type and low power energy density source.

This investigation, using the nerve conduction study, aimed to quantify the degree of laparoscopic surgeon's thumb, and to evaluate the effect of the ringed silicon rubber attachment (RSRA) developed by the authors.For the study, 26 residents or students performed surgical tasks (grasping and dissecting) using both the laparoscopic forceps with RSRA and the conventional instrument. The paresthesia was evaluated with a severity score obtained by interview and measurement of sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV).The mean severity score was 2.57 +/- 0.58 m/s for the conventional forceps and 1.05 +/- 0.80 m/s for the forceps with RSRA (p0.01). For the grasping task with the conventional forceps, the mean SCV was 58.3 +/- 2.81 m/s before and 54.8 +/- 2.83 m/s after the task (p0.01), whereas for the dissecting task, the corresponding values were 57.5 +/- 2.46 m/s and 56.1 +/- 2.93 m/s (p0.01). For the grasping task with the RSRA, the mean SCV was 57.1 +/- 3.33 m/s before and 55.9 +/- 3.18 m/s after the task (p0.01), whereas for the dissecting task, the corresponding values were 55.7 +/- 4.59 m/s and 55.8 +/- 3.50 m/s (nonsignificant difference).Laparoscopic surgeon's thumb was induced by compression of the lateral digital nerve. The RSRA significantly reduced the degree of paresthesia.

To improve the manipulation ability of robotic fingers, this paper proposes a design of an anthropomorphic soft fingertip with distributed receptors. The fingertip consists of two silicon rubber layers of different hardness containing two kinds of receptors, strain gauges and PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) films. The structure of the fingertip is similar to that of a human’s; it consists of a bone, a body, a skin layer, and randomly distributed receptors inside. Experimental results demonstrate the discriminating ability of the fingertip: it can discriminate five different materials by pushing and rubbing the objects.

We developed a new type of micromachined tactile sensor that detects both the contact force and hardness of an object. It consists of a diaphragm with a mesa structure, a piezo-resistive strain sensor on the diaphragm, and a chamber for pneumatic actuation. We designed the device specifications to detect humanfinger touch. We developed the fabrication process of the device using micromachining technology. The sensor element measures 11.0 mm × 15.0 mm × 0.4 mm. We experimentally evaluated the device characteristics by using silicon rubber and polyurethane resin samples with different hardnesses, and we verified the hardness detection performance. The fabricated tactile sensor detected differences in hardness in the range of 103–105 N/m.

When elderly people use welfare machines or rehabilitation machines, they lean on the supporter of the machine. Since the user hold the supporter at the same locus to prevent slipping from the supporter, they sometimes feel pains at the contact point. In this paper, we propose a new type of active supporter (Silicon Outer Fence Mold Actuator) which sponge is covered with silicon rubber. Since the stiffness of the active supporter is controlled by pressure in sponge chamber, it is possible to change the contact point of the body. From some experimental results, it is clarified that characteristics of the active supporter are influenced by the sponge layer structure. Furthermore, in order to indicate the effectiveness of the active supporter, we measure heart rate of the subject as an evaluation of the burden degree of the body.

International audience; We consider the problem of estimating the stiffness of an artery wall using a data assimilation method applied to a 3D fluid-structure interaction (FSI) model. Recalling previous works, we briefly present the FSI model, the data assimilation procedure and the segmentation algorithm. We present then two examples of the procedure using real data. First, we estimate the stiffness distribution of a silicon rubber tube from image data. Second, we present the estimation of aortic wall stiffness from real clinical data.

This study attempts to analyze the structure of the thin-walled part in the teat cup liner for FEM by the finite-element method (FEM) and to determine the most suitable structure for it. For the first step, we prepared a specimen liner made from NBR (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber) and silicon rubber (made by ORION MACHINERY CO., LTD.) and conducted tensile and compression tests for mechanical scraping properties of rubber Data. We then analyzed the thin-walled part using SolidWorks Simulation (SolidWorks Corporation) for finite-element analysis in liner process from expression of milk into nipple massage.

In this paper, soft-actuators are developed, which are made of a silicon rubber and are driven with a pneumatic power. The silicon rubber has a flexibility, and the pneumatic power has a compressibility. Using these characteristics, soft-actuators can be realized. A rubber can be molded in some shapes and designs, and rubber actuators can move in extending and bending.An in-pipe mobil, robot is composed of two holding actuators and a traveling actuator. The robot is fixed by holding actuators on both sides, a traveling actuator is equipped between holding actuators. The influence of the tube length (from servo valve to robot) is compensated by an improved control system. The compensator comprises of expresses the transfer function which is identified characteristics of the robot. Owing to the softness of the actuator and the pneumatic compliance, the robot can travel in an arbitrary shape pipe, such as a circle or a non-circle. The validity of this robot is confirmed through some experiments.

Minimally invasive surgical techniques for endoscope become widely used, for example, laparoscopic operation, NOTES (Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery), robotic surgery and so on. There are so many demand and needs for endoscopic diagnosis. Especially, palpation is most important diagnosis on any surgery. However, conventional endoscopic system has no tactile sensibility. There are many studies about tactile sensor for medical application. These sensors can measure object at a point. It is necessary to sense in areas for palpation. To overcome this problem, we propose compound eye type tactile endoscope. The proposed system consists of TOMBO (Thin Observation Module by Bound Optics) and clear silicon rubber. Our proposed system can estimate hardness of target object by measuring deformation of a projected pattern on the silicon rubber. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the proposed system. At first, we introduce approximated models of the silicone and the object. We formulate the stiffness of object, the deformation of silicone, and the whole object. We investigate the accuracy of measured silicone’s lower surface for deformation of silicone by prototype system. Finally, we evaluate the calculated stiffness of the soft object.

A hybrid tactile sensor system is proposed for a robot hand to hold and grip an object adaptively as the sensor system measures the slip of an object, the gripping force, and the deformation of its silicon rubber sensor element. A hybrid tactile sensor system consists of a Carbon Micro-Coil (CMC) touch sensor and a force sensor. The CMC sensor element is made of silicon rubber containing CMCs several micrometres in diameter. It is considered that the sensor element constitutes an LCR circuit, and the CMC touch sensor, deformed mechanically, produces signals due to the modification of the circuit. In this study, a dome-shaped CMC sensor element similar to the shape of a human fingertip was used. This paper first examines the characteristics of the CMC sensor in terms of slip detection when the sensor system held and released an object. Next, the characteristics of the CMC element are clarified with respect to the compression force and deformation when the CMC element was compressed vertically. Finally, methods using the hybrid tactile sensor system are developed to detect the slip of an object and estimate the magnitude of deformation of the CMC element.

This study constructs a novel blood pressure measurement device without the air cuff to overcome the problem of discomfort and portability. The proposed device measures the blood pressure through a mechanism that is made of silicon rubber and pressure transducer. The system uses a microcontroller to control the measurement procedure and to perform the necessary computation. To verify the feasibility of the constructed device, ten young volunteers were recruited. Ten blood pressure readings were obtained using the new system and were compared with ten blood pressure readings from bedside monitor (Spacelabs Medical, model 90367). The results indicated that, when all the readings were included, the mean pressure, systolic pressure and diastolic pressure from the new system were all higher than those from bedside monitor. The correlation coefficients between these two were 0.15, 0.18 and 0.29, for mean, systolic and diastolic pressures, respectively. After excluding irregular apparatus utilization, the correlation coefficient increased to 0.71, 0.60 and 0.41 for diastolic pressure, mean pressure and systolic pressure, respectively. We can conclude from these results that the accuracy can be improved effectively by defining the user regulation more precisely. The above mentioned irregular apparatus utilization factors can be identified and eliminated by the microprocessor to provide a reliable blood pressure measurement in practical applications in the future.

We report a method to analyse multiple samples by fluorescence in situ hybridisation on a single glass microscope slide. Wells were formed in which independent hybridisation reactions could proceed by sealing a silicon rubber gasket to the slide. In the largest format tested, different probes were hybridised simultaneously by applying them directly from a 96-well microtitre dish which was inverted on a glass plate. This technique will increase the rate of analysis of multiple probes against a standard set of chromosomes and could also be used to analyse different karyotypes using a panel of probes such as single chromosome paints during a single operation. It should be useful for both chromosomal mapping projects and screening for chromosome abnormalities in clinical diagnostic laboratories.

Sound localization is one of fundamental abilities of auditory robots that is necessary for human-machine communication. Especially for autonomous robots, it is also necessary to make the system as simple as possible, and binaural configuration is thought to be the minimum setup for auditory systems as animals achieve practical hearing with two ears. However, the limitation of the number of ears leads insufficient performance such as accuracy in sound localization, or sound source separation. In order to overcome those difficulties, this paper proposes a novel artificial soft pinna that can move, or deform its shape actively. The developed pinna has deformable skin of silicon rubber with wires controlled by motors, and it is covered by a fur cover. Considering applications of the proposed device for auditory robots, fundamental characteristics such as accuracy of motion and auditory characteristics were investigated through experiments, which is the main contribution of the paper.

We have already developed a haptic device using flexible sheet such as rubber. This device varies sheet compliance by controlling tension applied to the sheet: stretched sheet feels hard, and loose sheet feels soft. Hence a user can feel different compliance of virtual objects when he pushes the sheet directly with his finger. In the present study we propose a new haptic device which can move, expand and narrow the touch area on the sheet in addition to tension control. This device has two movable bars slightly touching the back of the tensioned sheet. A user touches and pushes the area between the bars on the sheet. Because the bars work as supporting struts, only this area is depressed. Controlling the distance between the bars varies the size of the touch area, thus varying sheet compliance: wide area makes the sheet soft, and narrow area makes the sheet hard. Keeping the size of the touch area constant generates the same sheet compliance, even if the touch area moves anywhere. Owing to the effects of variable tension and touch area, the new device can generate more variety of compliance than the previous one. A prototype device using a silicon rubber sheet is developed. Four servo motors move two bars through parallel link mechanisms under the tensioned sheet. The force-indentation curves for some sets of different tension and touch area are measured. The results show that the developed device can generate wide range of sheet compliance.

In this experiment we investigated the influence of stimulus properties on exploratory movement parameters in active touch. More precisely, we investigated whether and to what extent variations in stimulus compliance influence the executed finger force and velocity of the exploratory movements. Therefore, we varied the compliance of silicon rubber stimuli with deformable surfaces. Participants freely explored pairwise presented stimuli with a bare finger, and were asked to select the softer one. We found that both exploratory force and velocity depended on the compliance of the stimulus. Our results suggest in particular that observers strategically adapt their maximum finger force to the expected softness of the stimulus.

Summary To test the stability of miniplate osteosynthesis in the mandible, a three-dimensional in vitro model was developed. — Four clinically relevant fracture situations were simulated by osteotomies in polyurethane mandibles. The stability of the osteosyntheses was tested according to a reproducible procedure of unilateral loading under conditions of static equilibrium. The mandible was supported at the condyles in silicon rubber fossae and was held in position by traction on the coronoid processes in combination with preloading in the region of the incisors with a force of 10 N. Six points were tested to register the effects of unilateral loading on bending and torsion at the sites of the osteotomies. — The following results were obtained. The preliminary results show that in cases of jaw angle fracture neither bending nor torsional forces are sufficiently controlled by miniplate-fixation in the commonly proposed position. Furthermore, it was confirmed that fracture treatment in the canine region requires two plates instead of one to resist displacement of the fracture fragments during function.

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been proved effective for treatment of various diseases, such as pain, depression and drug abuse in animal experiment and clinical applications. However, professional operations, including acupoints selection and needles insertion, are needed for needle EA and painful sensation may be generated in surface electrode EA because the non-selective stimulation of the flat electrode activates the cutaneous pain receptor. These disadvantages impede their expansion and design of new EA system is motivated. We present an implantable EA system based on a single acupoint, which consists of stimulator implanted into the acupoint and signal transmitter used out of body. The circuit of the internal stimulator is packaged in silicon rubber and only the stimulating electrodes are left out. The internal stimulator is about 1g and its principal size is Ф14mm×4.2mm. The external transmitter is 39mm×43mm×12mm in size and 20 g in weight. Monomial square pulse is gained and its amplitude is 5mA while the testing load is 500ω. The implantable EA system presented in this paper offers a new method of EA stimulation. It can be used for diseases which need long-term, even coercive treatment, such as chronic pain, depression and drug abuse. Because the EA stimulation is applied at a single acupoint and no other acupoints and meridians are activated, so it also provides a feasible way for the study of acupoint specificity.

To study optic canal dimensions and symmetry during cranial development, 146 silicon rubber left- and right-side models of the optic canal were cast from 51 dry skulls and 22 individual bones. The sample was divided in three age groups: fetuses (including newborns), children and adults with ages ranging from seven months of fetal life to 68-year-old. A digital caliper was used to measure the optic canal orbital and cranial diameters as well as model length. Results for the right and the left sides were, respectively, in millimeters: a) Maximum diameter of the orbital opening: fetuses, 4.68/4.47--children, 5.51/5.41--adults, 5.43/5.34; b) Minimum diameter of the orbital opening: fetuses, 2.89/2.84--children, 3.54/3.61--adults, 3.78/3.73; c) Diameter of the cranial opening: fetuses, 3.79/3.76--children, 4.67/4.72--adults, 5.24/5.43; d) Length of the optic canal: fetuses, 3.27/3.05--children, 3.93/3.71--adults 4.94/5.21. The diameter of the cranial opening of the optic canal increases significantly (p0.001) during the fetal period and throughout child and adulthood. The greater and smaller orbital apertures increase during the fetal period and during childhood, keeping the same size in adulthood. Optic canal length increases at some point between childhood and adulthood. Concerning symmetry, the only significant difference found was greater right than left optic canal diameter on the orbital side.