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1097-GG03-03

A Miniaturized Cell Stretching Tool using Ionic Polymer Metal Composites Actuator Shin Hitsumoto1, Tadashi Ihara2, and Keisuke Morishima1 1 Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan 2 Suzuka University of Medical Science, Mie, 510-0293, Japan ABSTRACT In this paper, we proposed a novel miniaturized cell stretching tool using an Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites (IPMC) actuator. An IPMC is small, light weight and can be fabricated in any shape. And it drives flexibly like a living thing by low voltage. In this study, the PDMS chamber with PDMS membrane of 20 μm thick for cell culturing had been fabricated on IPMC. And cultured cells were stretched by IPMC. The displacements of PDMS membrane were measured by a laser displacement sensor. And then, cells were cultured on PDMS membrane and stretched them by the motion of IPMC in an incubator. The results show that the PDMS membrane and cells were stretched by IPMC. This is the first fabrication of a cell stretching tool using IPMC. The potentiality of cell stretching tool using IPMC was demonstrated.

INTRODUCTION We have previously reported a new bioactuator and fluid handling system in a microspace using cardiomyocytes as a mechanical component [1-2]. In these devices, cardiomyocytes were employed in the form of a sheet consisting of more than two millions cells which was fabricated with the cell sheet engineering technology. However, each cell was not aligned in the sheet and the contractile force was not sufficient for these devices. In order to improve its generated power, the muscular stretching machines which provide for training cellular contraction and alignment were needed. The conventional mechanical cell stretching devices are based on stepping motorized system [3]. So, it is impossible to stimulate cells with biomimetic pattern, such as body movement or blood flow because of one direction stretching. And these devices have following problems; large size, expensive, noisy and heat generation. In this paper, we proposed a novel miniaturized cell stretching tool using Ionic PolymerMetal Composites (IPMC) actuator. IPMC is made from an ion-exchange membrane and Pt or Au chemical plated. It is small, light weight, flexible material and bends flexibly like a creature with low voltage driving (0.5 to 3 V). From these reasons, IPMCs were focused as materials for an artificial muscle, a catheter or a micro-robot [4-6]. Applying a voltage to IPMC, either side of it swells due to movement of water molecules and IPMC exhibits bending motion (Figure 1). Because IPMC needs water molecules to drive, it works only in water and in wet condition. We focused on IPMC actuator with flex and animal like movement. In this paper, we proposed a novel cell stretching tool which is small and simple structure. And this tool could stimulate cells mechanically with various stretching pattern.

Cation Water molecule

10 mm Plating

Ionic polymer

Figure 1. Schematic view of the