The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 13, 2011
Filed:
Oct. 05, 2007
Reh-lin Chen, Williamsville, NY (US);
Bing-chung Chen, Newbury Park, CA (US);
Chung-lung Chen, Thousand Oaks, CA (US);
Chuan-hua Chen, Durham, NC (US);
Reh-Lin Chen, Williamsville, NY (US);
Bing-Chung Chen, Newbury Park, CA (US);
Chung-Lung Chen, Thousand Oaks, CA (US);
Chuan-Hua Chen, Durham, NC (US);
Teledyne Licensing, LLC, Thousand Oaks, CA (US);
Abstract
An electro-osmotic pump includes a pump chamber having a wall fabricated of an electric double layer material, the surface area of the electric double layer material being high relative to the volume of the chamber. An electric potential applied across the material causes a fluid in the chamber to be transported through the wall. A nastic actuator includes the electro-osmotic pump and an actuator chamber, having a variable volume, coupled to the pump chamber. A superabsorbent polymer is disposed in the pump and actuator chambers, such that transport of the fluid into the pump chamber results in absorption of the fluid by the superabsorbent polymer, causing the actuator chamber to increase in volume. When the electric potential is applied across the superabsorbent polymer, the superabsorbent polymer expands, further causing the actuator chamber to increase in volume.