JP2010252545A - Tube-shaped driving body - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tube-shaped driving body which is less dependent on use environment and for deforming a predetermined portion at desired timing. <P>SOLUTION: The tube-shaped driving body includes a polymer actuator element 20 provided on the outside circumferential surface of the tip end of a tube-shaped main part 10. The polymer actuator element 20 is connected to a voltage applying means via wirings 31, 32. The polymer actuator element 20 and the wirings 31, 32 are covered with a protecting layer 33. When the polymer actuator element 20 is driven, deformation of curve, bending, etc., for instance, corresponding to the deformation of the polymer actuator element 20 is caused to occur at the tip end on the main part 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a tubular drive body suitably used for an active catheter or the like.

  In fields such as medical equipment and industrial robots, there is a demand for reduction in size and weight. On the other hand, electromagnetic motors, solenoids, piezoelectric elements, and the like have been put to practical use as actuator elements, but they are heavy and lack flexibility, so products using such actuator elements are small in size. And weight reduction was difficult. Therefore, polymer actuator elements are attracting attention because they are lightweight and flexible.

  As this polymer actuator element, for example, an element in which a pair of electrodes are formed on the surface of an ion exchange resin molded body is known. The ion exchange resin molding is impregnated with an electrolytic solution containing water as a solvent. In this polymer actuator element, when a voltage is applied to the electrode, the water molecules move to one electrode side along with the ions, and the ion exchange resin in the vicinity of the electrode swells to bend or deform as a whole.

  Various polymer actuator elements using this ion exchange resin have been proposed. For example, there is one in which two pairs of electrodes are arranged opposite to each other on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical ion exchange resin molding with the ion exchange resin molding in between (see Patent Document 1). Since the cylindrical polymer actuator element has two pairs of electrodes, it can bend in the direction in which each electrode is provided, that is, in four directions, and can be bent so as to rotate by combining the four directions. It has become. In Patent Document 1, as a use application of a cylindrical polymer actuator element, a medical tube such as a blood vessel insertion catheter is cited.

JP 2005-033991 A

  In addition to the above-mentioned medical tubes, tube-like ones that are inserted or installed in a narrow space or place having a complicated shape can bend or deform a predetermined part at a desired timing without depending on the use environment. Therefore, it is desired that the insertion can be easily made at a target place.

  However, although the above-described cylindrical polymer actuator element can deform a predetermined portion at a desired timing, there is a problem that the use environment dependency is high. Specifically, when this polymer actuator element is used as a liquid feeding tube, since the ion exchange resin is exposed on the inner surface of the tube, the type of liquid flowing through the tube is limited to an electrolytic solution containing water as a solvent. . Furthermore, the difference in curvature or degree of deformation and time required for deformation tends to occur depending on the concentration of the electrolyte flowing through the tube. In addition, a substance dissolved in the liquid flowing in the tube may be adsorbed by the ion exchange resin.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tubular drive body that is low in use environment dependency and can deform a predetermined portion at a desired timing.

  The tubular drive body of the present invention includes a tubular main body and one or more polymer actuator elements that are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body and deform the main body in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the main body. Is.

  In the tubular drive body of the present invention, when the polymer actuator element is driven at an arbitrary timing, the main body is deformed, for example, curved or bent at a position where the polymer actuator element is provided. In this case, since the polymer actuator element is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body, there is no need to inject an electrolytic solution for driving into the main body, and even if a liquid is flowed into the main body, the composition of the liquid is maintained. Works without dependence. In particular, if a plurality of polymer actuator elements are provided, it can be deformed at a plurality of locations of the main body, and can be deformed in a desired direction by controlling the degree of deformation of each polymer actuator element.

  According to the tubular drive body of the present invention, since one or more polymer actuator elements are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tubular body, the use environment is kept low, and a predetermined portion is deformed at a desired timing. Can be made.

It is a schematic diagram showing the tubular drive body which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram showing the cross-sectional structure along the II-II line | wire of the tubular drive body shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of the polymer actuator element shown in FIG. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram for demonstrating the principle of operation of a polymer actuator element. It is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the tubular drive body which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram showing the modification of the tubular drive body shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram showing the tubular drive body which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram showing the modification of the tubular drive body shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The order of explanation is as follows.
1. 1st Embodiment (example of a tubular drive body)
2. Second embodiment (an example of another tubular driver)
3. Modified example of the second embodiment (modified example of other tubular driving body)
4). Third embodiment (an example of still another tubular driver)
5). Modified example of the third embodiment (further modified example of the tubular drive body)

<1. First Embodiment>
[Configuration of tube-like drive body]
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a main part of a tubular drive body 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional configuration along the line II-II of the tubular drive body 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the polymer actuator element 20 shown in FIG. The tubular driver 1 is used, for example, as an active catheter for medical use or an introduction tube of a microscope, and includes a polymer actuator element 20 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion of the tubular body 10. I have. The polymer actuator element 20 is connected to voltage applying means (not shown) via wirings 31 and 32. The polymer actuator element 20 and the wirings 31 and 32 are covered with a protective layer 33. In FIG. 1, the protective layer 33 is omitted, and in FIG. 2, the wirings 31 and 32 are omitted.

[Tubular body]
The main body 10 has insulation as well as flexibility and flexibility. Examples of the material constituting the main body 10 include materials having high flexibility and flexibility, such as polyurethane, polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene, and excellent in flame retardancy and electric resistance. The outer diameter and inner diameter of the main body 10 are arbitrary depending on the application of the tubular drive body 1.

[Polymer actuator element]
The polymer actuator element 20 has a rectangular shape, and is adhered to the outer peripheral surface of the front end portion of the main body 10 so that the longitudinal direction thereof is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body 10, and electrically It is connected to the. Thereby, the polymer actuator element 20 is deformed in the radial direction of the main body 10 when a drive voltage is applied.

  In this polymer actuator element 20, for example, a pair of electrodes 22A and 22B are provided on both surfaces of an ion conductive polymer film 21 impregnated with a cationic substance. Here, the “cationic substance” means a substance containing a cation and a polar solvent or a substance containing a liquid cation. Examples of those containing a cation and a polar solvent include those obtained by solvating a cation with a polar solvent, and examples of the liquid cation include a cation constituting an ionic liquid, and the like. Examples of the liquid containing cation include ionic liquid.

  Examples of the material constituting the ion conductive polymer film 21 include an ion exchange resin having a skeleton made of a fluororesin or a hydrocarbon. Examples of the ion exchange resin include an anion exchange resin, a cation exchange resin, and a both ion exchange resin. Among these, a cation exchange resin is preferable.

  Examples of the cation exchange resin include those into which an acidic group such as a sulfonic acid group or a carboxyl group has been introduced. Specific examples include polyethylene having an acidic group, polystyrene having an acidic group, or a fluororesin having an acidic group. Especially, as a cation exchange resin, the fluororesin which has a sulfonic acid group or a carboxylic acid group is preferable, and especially Nafion (made by DuPont) is preferable.

The cationic substance impregnated in the ion conductive polymer film 21 is preferably one containing metal ions and water, one containing organic cations and water, or an ionic liquid. As the metal ion, for example, sodium ion (Na ^+), potassium ion (K ^+), include light metal ions such as lithium ion (Li ⁺⁾ or magnesium ions (Mg ^2+). Moreover, as an organic cation, an alkyl ammonium ion etc. are mentioned, for example. These cations exist as hydrates in the ion conductive polymer film 21. Therefore, when the ion conductive polymer film 21 is impregnated with a cation substance containing cations and water, the polymer actuator element 20 is sealed as a whole in order to suppress water volatilization. Preferably it is.

  The ionic liquid is also called a room temperature molten salt, and contains a cation and an anion having low flammability and volatility. In the ionic liquid, the cation radius constituting the ionic liquid has a larger ion radius than the anion. Examples of the ionic liquid include imidazolium ring compounds, pyridinium ring compounds, and aliphatic compounds.

  Among these, the cationic substance is preferably an ionic liquid. This is because since the volatility is low, the polymer actuator element 20 operates well even in a high temperature atmosphere or in a vacuum.

  The electrodes 22A and 22B are opposed to each other via the ion conductive polymer film 21, and the electrode 22A is electrically connected to the wiring 31 and the electrode 22B is electrically connected to the wiring 32, respectively. Each of the electrodes 22A and 22B includes one type or two or more types of conductive materials. The electrodes 22A and 22B are preferably those in which conductive material powders are bound together by a conductive polymer. This is because the flexibility of the electrodes 22A and 22B is enhanced. Carbon powder is preferred as the conductive material powder. This is because the conductivity is high and the specific surface area is large, so that a larger deformation amount can be obtained. As the carbon powder, ketjen black is preferable. The conductive polymer is preferably the same as the constituent material of the ion conductive polymer film 21 described above.

  The electrodes 22A and 22B are formed as follows, for example. A coating material in which conductive material powder and a conductive polymer are dispersed in a dispersion medium is applied to both surfaces or one surface of the ion conductive polymer film 21 and then dried. Further, a film-like material containing conductive material powder and a conductive polymer is pressure-bonded to both surfaces or one surface of the ion conductive polymer film 21.

  The electrodes 22A and 22B may have a multilayer structure. In that case, a layer in which conductive material powders are bound together by a conductive polymer and a metal layer are stacked in this order from the ion conductive polymer film 21 side. It is preferable to have a structured. As a result, the potential is likely to be uniform in the in-plane direction of the electrodes 22A and 22B, and more excellent deformation performance can be obtained with high reliability. Examples of the material constituting the metal layer include noble metals such as gold and platinum. Although the thickness of a metal layer is arbitrary, it is preferable that it is a continuous film so that an electric potential may become uniform in electrode 22A, 22B. Examples of the method for forming the metal layer include plating, vapor deposition, and sputtering.

  In the polymer actuator element 20, when an cation substance containing a cation and a polar solvent is used, the ion conductive polymer film 21 hardly contains anions.

  The size (width and length) of the polymer actuator element 20 can be arbitrarily set according to, for example, the size (outer diameter, inner diameter, etc.) of the main body 10 and a desired deformation amount (generation amount). The amount of deformation of the polymer actuator element 20 is set according to the flexibility of the main body 10 and the amount of generation required for the tubular driver 1.

[Operation of polymer actuator element]
Here, the principle of operation of the polymer actuator element 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 4A shows a cross-sectional configuration of the polymer actuator element 20 when no driving voltage is applied, and FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional configuration when the driving voltage is applied.

  First, a case where a cation substance containing a cation and a polar solvent is used will be described.

  In this case, the polymer actuator element 20 has a planar shape because the cationic substance is almost uniformly dispersed in the ion conductive polymer film 21 when no driving voltage is applied (FIG. 4A). ). When a driving voltage is applied between the electrodes 22A and 22B so that the electrode 22A is at a negative potential and the electrode 22B is at a positive potential using the voltage applying means 40, the electrodes are solvated with the polar solvent. Move to the 22A side. At this time, since the ion conductive polymer film 21 contains almost no anions, in the ion conductive polymer film 21, the electrode 22A side swells and the electrode 22B side contracts. As a result, the polymer actuator element 20 is bent toward the electrode 22B as shown in FIG. 4B as a whole. Thereafter, when the voltage applied between the electrodes 22A and 22B is not applied, the cation substance (cation and polar solvent) biased toward the electrode 22A in the ion conductive polymer film 21 diffuses. Returning to the state shown in FIG. In addition, when the potentials of the electrodes 22A and 22B are switched in the state shown in FIG. 4B (the potential of the electrode 22A is positive and the potential of the electrode 22B is negative), the cationic substance biased toward the electrode 22A is Move to the electrode 22B side. As a result, the state returns to the state of FIG. 4A, and when the voltage is continuously applied as it is, the entire element is bent toward the electrode 22A.

  Next, a case where an ionic liquid containing a liquid cation is used as the cation substance will be described. Also in this case, when no driving voltage is applied, the ionic liquid is almost uniformly dispersed in the ion conductive polymer film 21, and therefore has the planar shape shown in FIG. When a driving voltage is applied between the electrodes 22A and 22B so that the electrode 22A is at a negative potential and the electrode 22B is at a positive potential using the voltage applying means 40, the cation constituting the ionic liquid is changed. It moves to the electrode 22A side, and the anion moves to the electrode 22B side. Here, the cation constituting the ionic liquid has an ionic radius larger than that of the anion. For this reason, in the ion conductive polymer film 21, the electrode 22A side swells and the electrode 22B side contracts. As a result, the polymer actuator element 20 is bent toward the electrode 22B as shown in FIG. 4B as a whole. After that, when the voltage applied between the electrodes 22A and 22B is not applied, positive ions that are biased toward the electrode 22A in the ion conductive polymer film 21 are diffused, as shown in FIG. Return to the state. Even if the potentials of the electrodes 22A and 22B are switched, as in the above, the positive ions move to the electrode side of the positive potential (electrode 22A side) and to the electrode side of the negative potential (electrode 22B side), and as a whole element Curve to the electrode 22A side.

[wiring]
The wirings 31 and 32 are connected to the electrodes 22A and 22B of the polymer actuator element 20, and are formed in the longitudinal direction of the main body 10 without contacting each other. Examples of the material constituting the wirings 31 and 32 include a metal material having a low electric resistance. Specifically, a noble metal such as gold or platinum is preferable. This is because it is difficult to oxidize. The wirings 31 and 32 are formed by a plating method such as electroless plating or electrolytic plating, or a printing method.

[Protective layer]
The protective layer 33 is for protecting the polymer actuator element 20 and the wirings 31 and 32, and covers a part of the outer peripheral surface of the main body 10 and the polymer actuator element 20 and the wirings 31 and 32. The protective layer 33 includes a hard portion 33A that is harder than the main body 10 and a soft portion 33B that has the same degree of flexibility as the main body 10. The hard portion 33A covers the surface and side surfaces on the rear end side of the polymer actuator element 20, and supports the polymer actuator element 20 by fixing the rear end portion. The soft portion 33B is provided in a portion of the polymer actuator element 20 that is not covered with the hard portion 33A among the distal end portion of the main body 10 and the wirings 31 and 32 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 10. The protective layer 33 is not essential, but is preferably provided from the viewpoint of keeping the use environment dependency low. In particular, the hard portion 33A is preferably provided because the movable range of the tip of the main body 10 can be increased by supporting the polymer actuator element 20. That is, the provision of the protective layer 33 reduces the use environment dependency, and the provision of the hard portion 33A increases the movable range of the movable portion of the tubular driver 1.

  The material constituting the protective layer 33 is an insulating resin material. Specifically, examples of the material constituting the hard portion 33A include an epoxy resin, and the material constituting the soft portion 33B. For example, the same material as the constituent material of the main body 10 may be used.

[Manufacturing Method of Tubular Driver]
The tubular driver 1 can be formed as follows, for example.

  First, for example, the main body 10 is prepared, and then the wiring 31 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 10 by, for example, a printing method.

  On the other hand, the polymer actuator element 20 is produced. In this case, for example, a coating material in which a conductive material powder and a conductive polymer are dispersed in a dispersion medium is applied to both surfaces of the ion conductive polymer film 21, and then the dispersion medium is volatilized to form the electrodes 22A and 22B. At the same time, the ion conductive polymer film 21 is impregnated with a cationic substance. Subsequently, if necessary, the ion conductive polymer film 21 and the electrodes 22A and 22B are cut so as to have a predetermined size, and if necessary, the cut surface is sealed so that the cationic substance does not volatilize. Stop.

  Next, a predetermined portion (here, the tip portion) of the main body 10 and the surface of the polymer actuator element 20 on the electrode 22A side are bonded, and the electrode 22A and the wiring 31 are connected. Subsequently, the wiring 32 is formed on the electrode 22B of the polymer actuator element 20 and the outer peripheral surface of the main body 10 by, for example, a printing method.

  Finally, the protective layer 33 is formed by providing the hard portion 33A on the rear end side of the polymer actuator element 20 and providing the soft portion 33B so as to cover the polymer actuator element 20 and the wirings 31 and 32. Thereby, the tubular drive body 1 is completed.

  In this tubular driver 1, when a driving voltage is applied to the polymer actuator element 20 via the wires 31 and 32 by the voltage applying means, the state shown in FIG. 2 (A) is changed from FIG. 2 (B) or FIG. ) Works. Specifically, when a driving voltage is applied to the polymer actuator element 20 so that the electrode 22A has a positive potential and the electrode 22B has a negative potential, the polymer actuator element 20 is bent or bent toward the electrode 22A. Corresponding to the deformation of the polymer actuator element 20, the main body 10 is also deformed to be in the state shown in FIG. On the other hand, when a driving voltage is applied to the polymer actuator element 20 so that the electrode 22A has a negative potential and the electrode 22B has a positive potential, the polymer actuator element 20 is bent or bent toward the electrode 22B. As a result, the state shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, when the polymer actuator element 20 is driven at an arbitrary timing, in the tubular driver 1, at the tip portion where the polymer actuator element 20 is provided, one of the radial directions of the main body 10 and its direction Deforms in the opposite direction. That is, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to keep the dependence on the use environment low and to deform the tip portion at a desired timing. Therefore, the tubular driver 1 can be easily inserted or installed even if the target narrow space or place has a complicated shape. For this reason, it can be used as a medical tube such as an active catheter or a fiberscope introduction tube. In particular, since the polymer actuator element 20 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 10, even if a liquid is caused to flow inside the main body 10, the polymer actuator element 20 operates without depending on the composition of the liquid. Therefore, a predetermined liquid can be sent to the intended place.

  In this case, if an ionic liquid is used as the cationic substance contained in the polymer actuator element 20, the use environment dependency can be further reduced.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, since the protective layer 33 is provided, the movable range of the tip portion can be increased, and the use environment dependency can be further reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the protective layer 33 is provided on a part of the tubular driver 1. However, the protective layer 33 may or may be formed over the entire outer peripheral surface of the tubular driver 1. It does not have to be. In the protective layer 33, the soft portion 33B may cover the hard portion 33A. This also acts in the same manner as described above, and the same effect can be obtained. The same applies to the embodiments and modifications described below.

  Next, other embodiments of the present invention and modifications thereof will be described. Components that are the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

<2. Second Embodiment>
FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the main part of the tubular drive body 2 according to the second embodiment. In the first embodiment, the tubular driver 1 has one polymer actuator element 20, but in this embodiment, two tubular polymer actuator elements are provided. Accordingly, the tubular drive body 2 includes wires 31A, 32A, 31B, and 32B connected to the polymer actuator elements 20A and 20B. In FIG. 5, the protective layer 33 is omitted.

  The polymer actuator elements 20 </ b> A and 20 </ b> B are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion of the main body 10 so as to face each other with the main body 10 therebetween. The polymer actuator element 20A is electrically connected to the wirings 31A and 32A, and the polymer actuator element 20B is electrically connected to the wirings 31B and 32B.

  Each polymer actuator element 20A, 20B has the same configuration as the polymer actuator element 20 described in the first embodiment. That is, in the polymer actuator element 20A, the electrode 22A is provided on the main body 10 side and connected to the wiring 31A, and the electrode 22B is provided on the protective layer 33 side and connected to the wiring 32A. In the polymer actuator element 20B, the electrode 22A is provided on the main body 10 side and connected to the wiring 31B, and the electrode 22B is provided on the protective layer 33 side and connected to the wiring 32B.

  The wirings 31A, 32A, 31B, and 32B are arranged so as not to contact each other. These wirings 31A, 32A, 31B, and 32B have the same configuration as the wirings 31 and 32 described in the first embodiment.

  The protective layer 33 is provided in the same manner as the tubular driver 1 described above. That is, covering a part of the outer peripheral surface of the main body 10, the upper surfaces and side surfaces of the polymer actuator elements 20A and 20B and the wirings 31A and 31B, and the portions of the wirings 32A and 32B that are not covered by the polymer actuator elements 20A and 20B. Yes.

  The tubular drive body 2 can be manufactured in the same manner as the tubular drive body 1 described above.

  The tubular drive body 2 can be driven in the same manner as the tubular drive body 1 described above. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the use environment dependency is low, and the tip portion can be deformed at a desired timing.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the two polymer actuator elements 20A and 20B are opposed to each other through the main body 10. Thereby, if any one of the polymer actuator elements 20A and 20B is driven, the main body 10 can be bent toward the polymer actuator element 20A side or the polymer actuator element 20B side. For this reason, when it is bent to one side after being bent to one side, it can be driven without switching the potential at the electrodes 22A and 22B of the polymer actuator elements 20A and 20B. Further, if the polymer actuator elements 20A and 20B are simultaneously driven so that the main body 10 bends to one of the sides, the force to bend to one side is strongly applied to the main body 10, so that the movable range of the tip portion is increased. Can do.

  Other functions and effects in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

<3. Modification of Second Embodiment>
FIG. 6 illustrates a configuration of a main part of the tubular driver 3 according to the modification. In this modification, the polymer actuator elements 20A and 20B have the same configuration as that of the second embodiment except that the polymer actuator elements 20A and 20B do not face each other through the main body 10, and can be manufactured in the same manner. In FIG. 6, the protective layer 33 is omitted.

  In the tubular driver 3, the polymer actuator elements 20A and 20B are provided so that the direction perpendicular to the surfaces on which the electrodes 22A and 22B are formed intersects at about 90 °.

  Thereby, in the tube-shaped drive body 3 of this modification, use environment dependence is low and can deform | transform a front-end | tip part at a desired timing. Furthermore, the tip portion can be bent in the direction in which the polymer actuator element 20A is deformed and the direction in which the polymer actuator element 20B is deformed. In addition, the tip portion can be bent in all the radial directions of the main body 10 by controlling the direction and amount of deformation of each polymer actuator 20A, 20B. Other functions and effects are the same as those of the second embodiment.

<4. Third Embodiment>
FIG. 7 shows the configuration of the main part of the tubular driver 4 according to the third embodiment. The tubular driver 4 of the present embodiment has the same configuration as that of the second embodiment except that it further includes two polymer actuator elements 20C and 20D. Accordingly, the tubular drive body 4 further includes wirings 31C, 32C, 31D, and 32D connected to the polymer actuator elements 20C and 20D. In FIG. 7, the protective layer 33 is omitted.

  The polymer actuator elements 20C and 20D are opposed to each other on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion of the main body 10 with the main body 10 therebetween in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the polymer actuator elements 20A and 20B are opposed to each other. The polymer actuator element 20C is electrically connected to the wirings 31C and 32C, and the polymer actuator element 20D is electrically connected to the wirings 31D and 32D.

  The polymer actuator elements 20C and 20D have the same configuration as the polymer actuator element 20 described in the first embodiment. That is, in the polymer actuator element 20C, the electrode 22A is provided on the main body 10 side and connected to the wiring 31C, and the electrode 22B is provided on the protective layer 33 side and connected to the wiring 32C. In the polymer actuator element 20D, the electrode 22A is provided on the main body 10 side and connected to the wiring 31D, and the electrode 22B is provided on the protective layer 33 side and connected to the wiring 32D.

  The wirings 31A, 32A, 31B, 32B, 31C, 32C, 31D, and 32D are arranged so as not to contact each other. The wirings 31C, 32C, 31D, and 32D have the same configuration as the wirings 31 and 32 described in the first embodiment.

  In addition, the protective layer 33 is formed similarly to the above-described tubular driving bodies 1 to 3. Specifically, the protective layer 33 is formed on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the main body 10, the upper surfaces and side surfaces of the polymer actuator elements 20A to 20D and the wirings 31A to 31D, and the polymer actuator elements 20A to 20D of the wirings 32A to 32D. Covers uncovered parts.

  The tubular drive body 4 can be manufactured in the same manner as the tubular drive bodies 1 to 3 described above.

  The tubular drive body 4 can be driven in the same manner as the tubular drive body 3 described above. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the use environment dependency is low, and the tip portion can be deformed at a desired timing.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, a set of polymer actuator elements 20A and 20B and a set of polymer actuator elements 20C and 20D are provided, and the elements of each set face each other with the main body 10 in between. Thereby, if any one of the polymer actuator elements 20A to 20D is driven, the main body 10 can be bent to any one of the polymer actuator elements 20A to 20D. In addition, by controlling the direction and amount of deformation of two of the polymer actuators 20 </ b> A to 20 </ b> D, the tip portion can be bent in all the radial directions of the main body 10. For this reason, when bending in one direction after bending in one direction, the polymer actuator elements 20A to 20D can be driven without switching the potential at the electrodes 22A and 22B. In addition, if two or more of the polymer actuator elements 20A to 20D are simultaneously driven so that the main body 10 bends in one direction, the bending force is strongly applied to the main body 10, so that the movable range of the tip portion Can be increased. Other functions and effects of the tubular drive body 4 are the same as those of the tubular drive bodies 1 to 3 described above.

<5. Modification of Third Embodiment>
In the third embodiment described above, one end of the polymer actuator elements 20A to 20D and the tip of the main body 10 are provided so as to be aligned on substantially the same plane, but the polymer actuator elements 20A to 20D It may be retracted from the tip. Further, in the third embodiment, the polymer actuator elements 20A to 20D are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 10 so as to be adjacent to each other, but may be as shown in FIG. . Specifically, the polymer actuator elements 20C and 20D may be provided so as to recede from the polymer actuator elements 20A and 20B. FIG. 8 schematically shows a main part of a tubular drive body according to a modification of the third embodiment. In any case, the same effect as in the third embodiment can be obtained.

  While the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiment and the modification, the present invention is not limited to the aspect described in the above embodiment and the like, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the above embodiment and the like, one or a plurality of polymer actuator elements are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion of the tubular main body, but may be provided on a portion other than the distal end portion of the main body.

  In the above-described embodiment and the like, the case where a plurality of polymer actuator elements are provided so as to be arranged in the direction of rotation about the central axis of the main body has been described. However, the polymer actuator elements are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the main body. May be provided.

  Moreover, although the case where the rectangular shape was used as a polymer actuator element was demonstrated in the said embodiment etc., the shape of a polymer actuator element is not restricted to it. For example, an elliptical shape, a triangular shape, or a polygonal shape may be used. Even in such a case, if the polymer actuator element is provided so that its length direction is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body, the movable range of the tubular driver can be increased.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments and the like, the case where a cylindrical body is used as the tube-shaped main body has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the cross section of the main body is rectangular, triangular, polygonal, It may be oval. Moreover, the main body does not need to be hollow between all from the front end to the rear end. For example, a lens or the like may be mounted in the hollow area of the main body to form an active fiber scope.

  1, 2, 3, 4 ... Tubular drive body, 10 ... Main body, 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D ... Polymer actuator element, 21 ... Ion conductive polymer film, 22A, 22B ... Electrode, 31, 31A, 31B, 31C, 31D, 32, 32A, 32B, 32C, 32D ... wiring, 33 ... protective layer, 33A ... hard portion, 33B ... soft portion, 40 ... voltage applying means.

Claims (10)

A tube-shaped drive body comprising: a tube-shaped main body; and one or a plurality of polymer actuator elements that are provided on an outer peripheral surface of the main body and deform the main body in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the main body.   The tubular actuator according to claim 1, wherein the polymer actuator element includes an ion conductive polymer film impregnated with a cationic substance between a pair of electrodes.   The tubular drive body according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of the polymer actuator elements.   The tubular drive body according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of polymer actuator elements are provided in an outer peripheral direction of the main body.   The tubular drive body according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of polymer actuator elements are provided at a distal end portion of the main body.   The tube-shaped drive body according to claim 1, wherein two sets of the polymer actuator elements are provided, and each set of elements faces each other with the main body interposed therebetween.   The tube-shaped drive body according to claim 6, wherein the two sets of polymer actuator elements are respectively provided at a tip portion of the main body.   The tubular driver according to claim 1, further comprising a protective layer covering the polymer actuator element.   The tubular drive body according to claim 1, which is used as an active catheter.   The tubular drive body according to claim 1, which is used as an introduction tube of a fiberscope.

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