How To Design Your Polymer Artificial Muscle Actuator/ Sensor?

International audienceNature is a source of inspiration for scientists and engineers to design new systems and solutions. To the date, science still unable to unveil the secret behind the tiny complex soft creatures. Can you imagine creating a fly, or even a worm as same as in our world, there are basic compelling questions: Do the tiny soft creatures have soft brain, how far it is intelligent

Two modes resonant combined motion for insect wings kinematics reproduction and lift generation

This paper presents an original concept using a two resonant vibration modes combined motion to reproduce insect wings kinematics and generate lift. The key issue is to design the geometry and the elastic characteristics of artificial wings such that a combination of flapping and twisting motions in a quadrature phase shift could be obtained. This qualitatively implies to bring the frequencies of the two resonant modes closer. For this purpose, a polymeric prototype was micromachined with a wingspan of 3 cm, flexible wings and a single actuator. An optimal wings configuration was determined with a modeling and validated through experimental modal analyses to verify the proximity of the two modes frequencies. A dedicated lift force measurement bench was developed and used to demonstrate a lift force equivalent to the prototype weight. Finally, at the maximum lift frequency, high-speed camera measurements confirmed a kinematics of the flexible wings with flapping and twisting motions in phase quadrature as expected.ANR-ASTRID CLEARFlight (ANR-13-ASTR-0012), RENATECH program, Direction Generale de l’Armement et Haut-de-France Regio

The Changing Landscape for Stroke\ua0Prevention in AF: Findings From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase 2

Background GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. Phase 2 began when dabigatran, the first non\u2013vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), became available. Objectives This study sought to describe phase 2 baseline data and compare these with the pre-NOAC era collected during phase 1. Methods During phase 2, 15,641 consenting patients were enrolled (November 2011 to December 2014); 15,092 were eligible. This pre-specified cross-sectional analysis describes eligible patients\u2019 baseline characteristics. Atrial fibrillation disease characteristics, medical outcomes, and concomitant diseases and medications were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the total patients, 45.5% were female; median age was 71 (interquartile range: 64, 78) years. Patients were from Europe (47.1%), North America (22.5%), Asia (20.3%), Latin America (6.0%), and the Middle East/Africa (4.0%). Most had high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc [Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age  6575 years, Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65 to 74 years, Sex category] score  652; 86.1%); 13.9% had moderate risk (CHA2DS2-VASc = 1). Overall, 79.9% received oral anticoagulants, of whom 47.6% received NOAC and 32.3% vitamin K antagonists (VKA); 12.1% received antiplatelet agents; 7.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. For comparison, the proportion of phase 1 patients (of N = 1,063 all eligible) prescribed VKA was 32.8%, acetylsalicylic acid 41.7%, and no therapy 20.2%. In Europe in phase 2, treatment with NOAC was more common than VKA (52.3% and 37.8%, respectively); 6.0% of patients received antiplatelet treatment; and 3.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. In North America, 52.1%, 26.2%, and 14.0% of patients received NOAC, VKA, and antiplatelet drugs, respectively; 7.5% received no antithrombotic treatment. NOAC use was less common in Asia (27.7%), where 27.5% of patients received VKA, 25.0% antiplatelet drugs, and 19.8% no antithrombotic treatment. Conclusions The baseline data from GLORIA-AF phase 2 demonstrate that in newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, NOAC have been highly adopted into practice, becoming more frequently prescribed than VKA in Europe and North America. Worldwide, however, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated, particularly in Asia and North America. (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [GLORIA-AF]; NCT01468701

Microsystème à ailes vibrantes (Utilisation des technologies MEMS pour la réalisation d'un microdrone bioinspiré)

VALENCIENNES-BU Sciences Lettres (596062101) / SudocSudocFranceF

Reactive ion beam etching effects on maskless PZT properties

Ion beam etching of sputtered Pb(Zr 0.54 ,Ti 0.46 )O 3 has been performed using pure Ar gas. The etch rate and selectivity ratios between PZT and masks as a function of the process parameters (current density, acceleration voltage, gas pressure) has been investigated. We have evaluated the PZT surface damage by contact mode AFM. It appears that the roughness increases after ion bombardment, and that the grain boundary zone is preferentially etched. For some etching parameters, we have also studied electrical damage. Carrying out C(V) and hysteresis loops P(E) measurements before and after etching have evidenced these degradation. We have noted a large permittivity decrease after etching process whatever the current density and the acceleration voltage. The ferroelectric damage was illustrated by a large increase of the average coercive field

How To Design Your Polymer Artificial Muscle Actuator/ Sensor?

International audienceNature is a source of inspiration for scientists and engineers to design new systems and solutions. To the date, science still unable to unveil the secret behind the tiny complex soft creatures. Can you imagine creating a fly, or even a worm as same as in our world, there are basic compelling questions: Do the tiny soft creatures have soft brain, how far it is intelligent

How To Design Your Polymer Artificial Muscle Actuator/ Sensor?

International audienceNature is a source of inspiration for scientists and engineers to design new systems and solutions. To the date, science still unable to unveil the secret behind the tiny complex soft creatures. Can you imagine creating a fly, or even a worm as same as in our world, there are basic compelling questions: Do the tiny soft creatures have soft brain, how far it is intelligent

Dispositif de mise en mouvement d'un fluide et procédé de fabrication

n° de priorité : FR20080005235 20080923 ; également publié en tant que : WO2010034899 (A1) 2010-04-0