US 10,119,526 B1 · Conformal electromechanical actuator

Abstract

A variety of embodiments of an at least partially flexible actuator are provided. The actuator includes a phase change material contained within an at least partially flexible enclosure of the actuator. Application of heat, using a heater of the actuator, to the phase change material causes the phase change material to boil, increasing the volume of the actuator and/or increasing a pressure within the actuator. As a result, the actuator can be used to apply a force to objects in an environment of interest. The actuator could be incorporated into a wearable blood pressure cuff and used to apply pressure to a body part of a wearer in order to detect a blood pressure of the wearer. In other examples, the actuator could be incorporated into a wearable device and used to secure a sensor or other elements of the device against skin of a wearer.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A body-mountable device comprising:

a mount for mounting the body-mountable device to an external body surface;
a heater;
a phase change material, wherein the phase change material is in contact with the heater, and wherein the phase change material changes from a liquid phase to a vapor phase in response to being heated by the heater;
and
an enclosure, wherein the heater and the phase change material are disposed within the enclosure, wherein the enclosure is at least partially formed from a flexible material, wherein the phase change material changing from a liquid phase to a vapor phase in response to being heated by the heater causes at least one of (i) an increase in a volume of the enclosure such that the flexible material is displaced outward to contact the external body surface, or (ii) an increase in a pressure within the enclosure such that a force is transmitted, via the flexible material, to the external body surface.

2 more elements

A method comprising:

mounting a body-mountable device to an external body surface of a body, wherein the body-mountable device comprises:
a mount for mounting the body-mountable device to the external body surface;
a heater;
a phase change material, wherein the phase change material is in contact with the heater;
and
an enclosure, wherein the heater and the phase change material are disposed within the enclosure, wherein the enclosure is at least partially formed from a flexible material;
and
heating the phase change material using the heater such that the phase change material changes from a liquid phase to a vapor phase, wherein heating the phase change material such that the phase change material changes from a liquid phase to a vapor phase causes at least one of (i) an increase in a volume of the enclosure such that the flexible material is displaced outward to contact the external body surface, or (ii) an increase in a pressure within the enclosure such that a force is transmitted, via the flexible material, to the external body surface.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Conformal electromechanical actuator

Life of this patent

Conformal electromechanical actuator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20