Research on control strategy of pneumatic soft bionic robot based on improved CPG.

To achieve the accuracy and anti-interference of the motion control of the soft robot more effectively, the motion control strategy of the pneumatic soft bionic robot based on the improved Central Pattern Generator (CPG) is proposed. According to the structure and motion characteristics of the robot, a two-layer neural network topology model for the robot is constructed by coupling 22 Hopfield neuron nonlinear oscillators. Then, based on the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), the membership functions are offline learned and trained to construct the CPG-ANFIS-PID motion control strategy for the robot.

Acoustofluidics 24: theory and experimental measurements of acoustic interaction force.

The motion of small objects in acoustophoresis depends on the acoustic radiation force and torque. These are nonlinear phenomena originating from wave scattering, and consist of primary and secondary components. The primary radiation force is the force acting on an object due to the incident field, in the absence of other objects.

Assessment of in-cabin noise of wide-body aircrafts.

The aviation industry has seen dramatic growth over the decades till the recent disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, long-haul routes with a distance of more than 4000 km are common for major airlines worldwide. Therefore, aircraft cabin noise assessment is essential, especially in long-haul flights, for passenger and flight crew health wellness.

Generalized potential theory for close-range acoustic interactions in the Rayleigh limit.

Under an external acoustic field, particles experience radiation forces that bring them to certain trapping locations, such as pressure or velocity nodes for the case of plane standing wave. Due to acoustical interactions, particles form clusters on reaching those trapping locations. In this work, by using the far-field evaluation of scattered fields, a generalized force potential is formulated that gives both the primary and interaction forces for particles with size much smaller than the wavelength (Rayleigh limit).

Experimental measurement of interparticle acoustic radiation force in the Rayleigh limit.

Acoustophoresis is a form of contact-free particle manipulation in microfluidic devices. The precision of manipulation can be enhanced with better understanding of the acoustic radiation force. In this paper we present the measurements of interparticle radiation force between a pair of polystyrene beads in the Rayleigh limit.

Effects of viscosity and acoustic streaming on the interparticle radiation force between rigid spheres in a standing wave.

The total acoustic radiation force acting on interacting spheres in a viscous fluid consists of the primary and secondary forces. The primary force pushes rigid spheres to the pressure node due to the incident standing wave. The secondary force is the interparticle force caused by the interaction between spheres in the standing wave.

Numerical calculation of acoustic radiation forces acting on a sphere in a viscous fluid.

In this work, a numerical scheme based on multipoles and Stokeslet is proposed for calculating the radiation force acting on a single rigid sphere in a viscous fluid. First-order velocity and pressure are obtained from the multipole series solution, and the volumetric force in the acoustic streaming is subsequently calculated from the first-order velocity and pressure. The acoustic streaming equations are solved using the Stokeslet method within a finite domain descretized by tetrahedral elements.

A hybrid dielectrophoretic system for trapping of microorganisms from water.

Assessment of the microbial safety of water resources is among the most critical issues in global water safety. As the current detection methods have limitations such as high cost and long process time, new detection techniques have transpired among which microfluidics is the most attractive alternative. Here, we show a novel hybrid dielectrophoretic (DEP) system to separate and detect two common waterborne pathogens, Escherichia coli (E.

Numerical study of interparticle radiation force acting on rigid spheres in a standing wave.

Acoustic radiation force can be used to move micro-sized particles, such as cells, in microfluidic devices. Although the number of particles in a microfluidic device is large, typically 2.5% (weight/volume), the acoustic force acting on a particle is commonly calculated using an analytical formula for a single particle in infinite medium.

Numerical analysis of flow induced noise propagation in supercavitating vehicles at subsonic speeds.

Flow supercavitation begins when fluid is accelerated over a sharp edge, usually at the nose of an underwater vehicle, where phase change occurs and causes low density gaseous cavity to gradually envelop the whole object (supercavity) and thereby enabling higher speeds of underwater vehicles. The process of supercavity inception/development by means of "natural cavitation" and its sustainment through ventilated cavitation result in turbulence and fluctuations at the water-vapor interface that manifest themselves as major sources of hydrodynamic noise. Therefore in the present context, three main sources are investigated, namely, (1) flow generated noise due to turbulent pressure fluctuations around the supercavity, (2) small scale pressure fluctuations at the vapor-water interface, and (3) pressure fluctuations due to direct impingement of ventilated gas-jets on the supercavity wall.

Assessment of airflow ventilation in human nasal cavity and maxillary sinus before and after targeted sinonasal surgery: a numerical case study.

In this study, we evaluated the effects of targeted sinonasal surgery on nasal and maxillary sinus airflow patterns. A patient, who underwent right balloon sinuplasty and left uncinectomy for recurrent maxillary sinus barometric pressure, and concomitant septoplasty and bilateral inferior turbinate reduction for deviated nasal septum and inferior turbinate hypertrophy, was selected. Two 3D models representing both pre- and post-operative sinonasal morphology were constructed.

Pressure compensated fiber laser hydrophone: modeling and experimentation.

A pressure compensated metal diaphragm based fiber laser hydrophone configuration that can provide good sensitivity, large bandwidth, and sea state zero noise floor is proposed in this paper. A simplified theoretical model of the proposed sensor configuration is developed in which the acoustic elements of the sensor configuration are modeled using a four-pole acoustic transfer matrix and the structural elements are modeled as second order single degree of freedom elements. This model is then used to optimize the design parameters of the sensor system to achieve the performance objectives.

Shear flow of an electrically charged fluid by ion concentration polarization: scaling laws for electroconvective vortices.

We consider electroconvective fluid flows initiated by ion concentration polarization (ICP) under pressure-driven shear flow, a scenario often found in many electrochemical devices and systems. Combining scaling analysis, experiment, and numerical modeling, we reveal unique behaviors of ICP under shear flow: a unidirectional vortex structure, its height selection, and vortex advection. Determined by both the external pressure gradient and the electric body force, the dimensionless height of the sheared electroconvective vortex is shown to scale as (ϕ(2)/U(HP))(1/3), which is a clear departure from the previous diffusion-drift model prediction.

Direct numerical simulation of electroconvective instability and hysteretic current-voltage response of a permselective membrane.

We present a systematic, multiscale, fully detailed numerical modeling for dynamics of fluid flow and ion transport covering Ohmic, limiting, and overlimiting current regimes in conductance of ion-selective membrane. By numerically solving the Poisson-Nernst-Planck-Navier-Stokes equations, it is demonstrated that the electroconvective instability, arising from the electric field acting upon the extended space charge layer, and the induced strong vortical fluid flow are the dominant factors of the overlimiting current in the planar membrane system. More importantly, at the transition between the limiting and the overlimiting current regimes, hysteresis of electric current is identified.

Effect of accessory ostia on maxillary sinus ventilation: a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study.

We evaluated, by CFD simulation, effects of accessory ostium (AO) on maxillary sinus ventilation. A three-dimensional nasal model was constructed from an adult CT scan with two left maxillary AOs (sinus I) and one right AO (sinus II), then compared to an identical control model with all AOs sealed (sinuses III and IV). Transient simulations of quiet inspiration and expiration at 15 L/min, and nasal blow at 48 L/min, were calculated for both models using low-Reynolds-number turbulent analysis.

Dielectrophoretic capture voltage spectrum for measurement of dielectric properties and separation of cancer cells.

In this paper, a new dielectrophoresis (DEP) method based on capture voltage spectrum is proposed for measuring dielectric properties of biological cells. The capture voltage spectrum can be obtained from the balance of dielectrophoretic force and Stokes drag force acting on the cell in a microfluidic device with fluid flow and strip electrodes. The method was demonstrated with the measurement of dielectric properties of human colon cancer cells (HT-29 cells).

Characterization and separation of Cryptosporidium and Giardia cells using on-chip dielectrophoresis.

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) has been shown to have significant potential for the characterization of cells and could become an efficient tool for rapid identification and assessment of microorganisms. The present work is focused on the trapping, characterization, and separation of two species of Cryptosporidium (C. parvum and C.

Cell separation and transportation between two miscible fluid streams using ultrasound.

This paper presents a two-stream microfluidic system for transporting cells or micro-sized particles from one fluid stream to another by acoustophoresis. The two fluid streams, one being the original suspension and the other being the destination fluid, flow parallel to each other in a microchannel. Using a half-wave acoustic standing wave across the channel width, cells or particles with positive acoustic contrast factors are moved to the destination fluid where the pressure nodal line lies.

Passive movement of human soft palate during respiration: A simulation of 3D fluid/structure interaction.

This study reconstructed a three dimensional fluid/structure interaction (FSI) model to investigate the compliance of human soft palate during calm respiration. Magnetic resonance imaging scans of a healthy male subject were obtained for model reconstruction of the upper airway and the soft palate. The fluid domain consists of nasal cavity, nasopharynx and oropharynx.

Inspirational airflow patterns in deviated noses: a numerical study.

This study attempts to evaluate the effects of deviation of external nose to nasal airflow patterns. Four typical subjects were chosen for model reconstruction based on computed tomography images of undeviated, S-shaped deviated, C-shaped deviated and slanted deviated noses. To study the hypothetical influence of deviation of external nasal wall on nasal airflow (without internal blockage), the collapsed region along the turbinate was artificially reopened in all the three cases with deviated noses.

On-chip measurements of cell compressibility via acoustic radiation.

Measurements of mechanical properties of biological cells are of great importance because changes in these properties can be strongly associated with the progression of cell differentiation and cell diseases. Although state of the art methods, such as atomic force microscopy, optical tweezers and micropipette aspiration, have been widely used to measure the mechanical properties of biological cells, all these methods involve direct contact with the cell and the measurements could be affected by the contact or any local deformation. In addition, all these methods typically deduced the Young's modulus of the cells based on their measurements.

Particle separation in microfluidics using a switching ultrasonic field.

We present a new method for separation of micro-sized constituents with positive acoustic contrast factors in a microfluidic channel using ultrasound. The ultrasound field is switched between the first and third resonant modes of the fluid channel, and the suspended constituents are separated onto the side and center pressure nodal lines according to their sizes or acoustic contrast factors. Initial hydrodynamic focusing of the constituents within a region of the channel near to the side nodal line is a crucial step in this separation method.

Evaluation and comparison of nasal airway flow patterns among three subjects from Caucasian, Chinese and Indian ethnic groups using computational fluid dynamics simulation.

Nasal airflow is one of the most important determinants for nasal physiology. During the long evolution of human beings, different races have developed their own attributes of nasal morphologies which result in variations of nasal airflow patterns and nasal functions. This study evaluated and compared the effects of differences of nasal morphology among three healthy male subjects from Caucasian, Chinese and Indian ethnic groups on nasal airflow patterns using computational fluid dynamics simulation.

Synthesis and evaluation of functionalized isoindigos as antiproliferative agents.

A series of functionalized isoindigos structurally related to meisoindigo (1-methylisoindigo), a therapeutic agent used for the treatment of a form of leukemia, were synthesized and evaluated for antiproliferative activities on a panel of human cancer cells. Two promising compounds (1-phenpropylisoindigo and 1-(p-methoxy-phenethyl)-isoindigo) that were more potent than meisoindigo and comparable to 6-bromoindirubin-3'-oxime on leukemic K562 and liver HuH7 cells were identified. Structure-activity relationships showed the importance of keeping one of the lactam NH in an unsubstituted state.

Pillar array microtraps with negative dielectrophoresis.

We present a microfluidic particle-trap array that utilizes negative dielectrophoresis (nDEP) force and hydrodynamic force. The traps are located at the stagnation points of cylindrical pillars arranged in a regular array, and they can function as both single-particle traps (capable of discriminating particles based on size) and multiparticle traps (capable of controlling the number of particles trapped). By adjusting the relative strength of the nDEP and hydrodynamic forces, we are able to control the number of trapped particles accurately.