Leuven, Belgium - October 5, 2009 - IMEC has developed an actuator that runs on ultra-low power and that is watertight. This innovative combination of characteristics makes the actuator especially suited for use in in-vivo biomedical applications, and, in general, for all applications that need to combine a long autonomy with small batteries. IMEC's prototype has an integrated micro-needle, which can be steered by the actuator.
ball screw
The new actuator is fabricated using SOI-based
Shaft screws (silicon-on-insulator) micromachining. The actuator combines a large range (±50µm) with sufficient force (±195µN) to position for example in-vivo brain electrodes
Auto Parts It works at 11V, which is three times lower than the operating voltages of the current available actuators. Moreover, the actuator consumes below 100nW and can therefore be used in applications that require a long battery life. IMEC has integrated the actuator with a micro-needle in a watertight encapsulation that does not hinder the movement of actuator and needle. The package includes a flip-chip mounted glass cap and hydrophobic surface treatment to prevent water ingress.
