Muscle energy converter

Abstract

A muscle energy converter comprised of a piston having an attachment head for connection to a muscle. The muscle energy converter also comprises a cylinder having a chamber in which the piston is disposed. The cylinder has a port for transport of fluid in the chamber as the muscle moves the piston. Preferably, movement of the piston within the cylinder is frictionless. The piston comprises a first magnetic section and the cylinder comprises a second magnetic section. The first magnetic section and the second magnetic section provide opposing fields to maintain the piston in co-axial alignment within the cylinder. Preferably, there is a rolling diaphragm sealing mechanism connected between the piston and the cylinder. The rolling diaphragm mechanism can include a first rolling diaphragm and a second rolling diaphragm spaced from and opposing the first rolling diaphragm. Preferably, the opposing fields of the first magnetic section and the second magnetic section are disposed at an angle between the axial and radial direction of the piston so as the piston is subject to both a radial aligning force and an axial preload force. The present invention is also a method of using muscle energy. The method comprises the steps of attaching a muscle to an attachment head of a piston so that the muscle can move the piston within a cylinder to pressurize fluid within the cylinder. Then there is the step of maintaining frictionless alignment of the piston within the cylinder with opposing magnetic fields produced by first and second magnetic sections in the piston and cylinder, respectively. Preferably, there is the step of producing with the first and second magnetic sections a preload force on the piston. Preferably, after the attaching step, there is the step of using the fluid to perform work within the human body such as to pump blood.