• Wearable, inexpensive robotic sleeve for

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Thu May 5 22:30:38 2022
    Wearable, inexpensive robotic sleeve for lymphedema treatment
    Microfluidic chip inflates and deflates balloons in a sleeve to promote
    fluid flow in the lymphatic system

    Date:
    May 5, 2022
    Source:
    American Institute of Physics
    Summary:
    Researchers have developed a soft robotic sleeve controlled with a
    microfluidic chip that reduces cost, weight, and power consumption
    for treatment of lymphedema. The prototype is more portable
    than previous devices, and the underlying mechanisms can extend
    to other treatments, such as prosthetics. The microfluidic chip
    has 16 channels, each with a different resistance. The differing
    resistances create a time delay between the flow through each
    channel, causing balloons in the sleeve to sequentially inflate
    and push fluid upwards, out of the arm.



    FULL STORY ========================================================================== Lymphedema often occurs in survivors of breast cancer, because they are at
    high risk for lymph node damage or removal during surgical procedures. The locations of these nodes often make fluid and proteins collect in the
    arm, so treatment consists of compression sleeves that seek to restore
    normal flow. However, current techniques are expensive and inconvenient.


    ==========================================================================
    In Biomicrofluidics, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Waterloo's Microfluidics Laboratory and DIESEL Biomechanics Laboratory,
    Breast Rehab, and Myant, Inc. developed a soft robotic sleeve controlled
    with a microfluidic chip that reduces treatment cost, weight, and power consumption.

    The prototype is more portable than previous devices, and the underlying mechanisms can extend to other treatments, such as prosthetics.

    The microfluidic chip has 16 channels, each acting as a sort of
    pipeline. Just as pipelines with different diameters create different
    flow speeds, the channels each have a different resistance. The differing resistances create a time delay between the flow through each channel,
    causing balloons in the sleeve to sequentially inflate and push fluid
    upwards, out of the arm.

    The design requires only two miniature valves, which take the place of
    eight bulky, energy-consuming valves. As a result, the cost is cut from thousands to hundreds of dollars. It operates using a 3.7-volt lithium-ion battery within a control box weighing less than an iPhone 13, in contrast
    to previous technology that required a wall outlet.

    "My definition of wearable is you can wear it and do whatever you want,
    and not be plugged into a wall," said author Carolyn Ren. "Bringing in
    the microfluidics field, we wanted to make the system battery-powered
    but without compromising the performance." By placing a sensor between
    the sleeve prototype and the arm, the team measured and optimized the
    sleeve pressure to encourage fluid flow.

    The researchers are currently recruiting for patient testing. They intend
    to use their device patent to develop a commercially viable product.

    Microfluidic chips could also be incorporated into prosthetics for lower
    leg amputees.

    Pressure is unevenly distributed around the leg during walking, and the
    leg swells to change sizes throughout the day, but traditional prosthetic sockets cannot adjust accordingly. A balloon system like the lymphedema
    sleeve could apply the correct amount of pressure to the leg dynamically
    and inflate or deflate to change size on demand.

    "We look at these problems from different angle, but I think there are
    a lot more things microfluidics can contribute to these areas," said Ren.


    ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by American_Institute_of_Physics. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


    ========================================================================== Related Multimedia:
    * Images_of_the_lymphedema_sleeve ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
    1. Run Ze Gao, Vivian Ngoc Tram Mai, Nicholas Levinski, Jacqueline Mary
    Kormylo, Robin Ward Murdock, Clark R. Dickerson, Carolyn L. Ren. A
    novel air microfluidics-enabled soft robotic sleeve: Toward
    realizing innovative lymphedema treatment. Biomicrofluidics, 2022;
    16 (3): 034101 DOI: 10.1063/5.0079898 ==========================================================================

    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220505114635.htm

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