JP4593160B2 - Bending drive device and micro device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a bending drive device and a micro device used for inspection and repair in the industrial field, and a bending drive device and a micro device used for inspection and treatment in the medical field, for example, ophthalmic surgery, laparoscopic surgery, etc. In the medical tube and microsurgery technology, with regard to bending drive devices and microdevices such as tweezers, scissors, forceps, snare, laser knife, spatula, clip, etc. Related to medical tubes.

  In recent years, bending drive devices and microdevices used for inspection and repair in the industrial field and bending drive devices and microdevices used for inspection and treatment in the medical field have been put into practical use. A medical tube provided with an actuator at the tip is useful as a catheter for inserting blood vessels, an endoscope, and the like, and is widely used as a medical microdevice. For example, when this medical tube is used as a blood vessel insertion catheter, the distal end actuator is inserted into the blood vessel, and then the actuator is deformed to select the direction of travel and advance in the blood vessel. To go. In addition, when in-pipe inspection of industrial equipment and pipes laid in a building, it is possible to easily inspect without removing pipes etc. by inspecting using a bending drive with a sensor attached to the tip. Can do.

  For the deformation of the actuator, it is generally adopted that the actuator bends. Due to the deformation of the actuator, the actuator is driven to guide the bending drive device and the micro device in the traveling direction.

  As a medical tube using an actuator that bends, for example, a medical tube or an actuator that has two or more electrodes formed at a position sandwiching an ion exchange resin film at the tip thereof, a pipe investigation, or a medical use Are known (Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). In this medical tube, the actuator provided at the distal end portion has a high response speed of bending and is driven at a low voltage.

JP-A-8-10336 JP-A-11-198069

  However, such a bending drive device and a micro device are flexible because the ion exchange membrane constituting the actuator provided at the tip is in a swollen state containing water. The force given to the outside caused by the pressing force is not large. Therefore, in a state where there are many obstacles, this apparatus takes time to reach the position to the treatment site or the repair site. That is, in the bending drive device and the micro device, even in a situation where there are many obstacles, the actuator can be easily advanced to the treatment site or the repair site, so that the actuator is bent and pressed against the outside. It is necessary to be able to generate a strong force.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a bending drive device and a micro device that can reach a target position by driving an actuator even in a situation where there are many obstacles.

  As a result of intensive studies, the inventors of the present invention have provided a bending drive device having an actuator at the tip, wherein the actuator includes a conductive polymer layer and an electrolyte layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer, and the conductive It has been found that a strong force that the actuator presses against the outside can be generated by using a bending drive device that is driven by the actuator by applying a voltage to the polymer layer.

  Further, the invention of the present application is a microdevice having an actuator at the tip, similarly to the bending drive device, wherein the actuator includes a conductive polymer layer and an electrolyte layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer, The microdevice is driven by applying an electric voltage to a conductive polymer layer. The micro device can generate a strong force that the actuator presses against the outside.

  By using the bending drive device and / or the micro device of the present invention, a strong force pressing against the outside can be generated by bending the tutor used at the distal end portion of the medical tube, so there are many obstacles. Therefore, it is possible to provide a bending drive device that can be used for a catheter, an endoscope, and the like that can be easily operated.

  The present invention relates to a bending drive device having an actuator at a tip, wherein the actuator includes a conductive polymer layer and an electrolyte layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer, and a voltage is applied to the conductive polymer layer. Thus, the bending drive device is driven by the actuator.

  The actuator provided at the tip of the bending drive device of the present invention includes a conductive polymer layer and an electrolyte layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer. Since the conductive polymer layer is in contact with the electrolyte layer, the dopant contained in the electrolyte layer is de-injected into the conductive polymer layer when a voltage is applied, so that the conductive polymer layer is displaced. Produce. One of the actuators expands when a positive and negative voltage is applied to a pair of conductive polymer layers facing each other, and the other contracts to cause a bending motion.

  The actuator includes a conductive polymer layer and an electrolyte layer, and the structure and / or configuration is particularly limited as long as the conductive polymer and the electrolyte layer are in contact with each other and a voltage can be applied to the conductive polymer. It is not something. For example, as shown in the structure of FIG. 1, the actuator is configured by providing a conductive polymer layer on the outer periphery of a flexible resin tube and providing an electrolyte layer on the conductive polymer layer. The actuator can be bent by applying a voltage to the conductive polymer layer. Here, at least one pair of conductive polymer layers is necessary, and two or more pairs are preferably provided. When the conductive polymer layer is a pair, it can be bent in one direction. When there are two pairs of the conductive polymer layers, they can be bent in two directions (XY directions), and more complicated bending can be achieved by controlling the voltage applied to each electrode. Note that the electrolyte layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer may be in contact with the conductive polymer layer and the electrode layer as long as ions can move. Therefore, the conductive polymer layer and the electrode layer can be configured such that a separator is interposed between them, as long as they are substantially in contact with each other.

  Hereinafter, although this invention is demonstrated based on drawing, this invention is not limited to these. Here, the structure shown in FIG. 1 will be described in more detail. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an actuator provided at the distal end portion of the bending drive device of the present invention. The actuator 1 includes a conductive layer 3 on the outer surface of a flexible resin tube 2, and includes conductive polymer layers 141, 142, 143, and 144 on the conductive layer, and further includes the conductive polymer. A cylindrical actuator having an electrolyte layer 5 on the layer. The actuator shown in FIG. 1 has a hollow center and a cylindrical shape. However, the actuator shown in FIG. 1 can have a shape suitable for the structure and use of the bending drive device, and can have a desired shape such as a column shape or a prism shape. can do.

  As a method for obtaining the actuator having the structure of FIG. 1, for example, the following method can be used. First, the four conductive layers 3 are installed along the vertical axis direction on the outer surface of a flexible tube 2 generally used for a catheter. The conductive material of the conductive layer and the installation method thereof are not particularly limited as long as the conductive polymer can be formed on the conductive layer by electrolytic polymerization. As the conductive layer, sputtering of gold, platinum, or the like is particularly preferably used because the formation of the conductive layer is easy. Using the four conductive layers 3 formed on the tube 2 as the base resin layer as working electrodes, a conductive polymer layer is formed on the conductive layer by an electrolytic polymerization method. Here, it is expected that the conductive polymer does not deposit on the tube without the conductive layer, but depending on the electropolymerization conditions, the conductive polymer grows on the tube from the conductive layer and fills the gap between the electrodes. There are things to do. In that case, it is necessary to prevent a short circuit by using a masking process or a post-process for removing the conductive polymer between electrodes (conductive layers) on a tube in which a conductive layer is not formed. Next, an electrolyte for a medical tube that covers all of the conductive polymer layer with an electrolyte such as a gel electrolyte and includes two pairs of conductive polymer layers is obtained. With this method, the actuator having the structure shown in FIG. 1 can be obtained. In order to prevent the dopant ions contained in the electrolyte layer from diffusing into the living body, the actuator is formed by sealing the outermost layer with a resin layer such as an exterior film typified by medical urethane resin. Is preferred. In the bending drive device of the present invention, by providing the actuator at the tip, the actuator is driven to generate a strong force to press against the outside, and even in a situation where there are many obstacles, even a treatment site or a repair site The position of can be reached.

  The bending drive device of the present invention does not necessarily include a conductive layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer as in the structure shown in FIG. However, when the actuator provided in the bending drive device of the present invention includes a conductive layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer as in the structure shown in FIG. 1, a voltage is applied to the conductive layer. Since a constant voltage is uniformly applied to the conductive polymer layer, the deformation amount of the conductive polymer layer can be easily adjusted. Therefore, the bending amount of the actuator can be easily adjusted. Further, when a conductive layer is not formed on the outer surface of the tube forming the innermost layer of the actuator, it is necessary to install a strip-shaped conductive polymer film on the outer surface of the tube. Therefore, the actuator having the structure shown in FIG. 1 can easily form a multilayer structure including a conductive polymer layer by electrolytic polymerization.

  The actuator can be provided at the distal end portion of the guide member 52 by a known method, like the bending drive device 51 shown in FIG. The actuator 53 can be connected to a power source 55 through lead wires 54 and 54 'by a known method to form a medical tube. A known conductive layer for transmitting a voltage transmitted from the lead wire to the actuator 53 can be provided inside the guide member 52. For example, the actuator can be used in place of the actuator in which a metal layer is bonded to the ion exchange resin described in JP-A-8-10336 and JP-A-11-198069. For example, in the actuator having the structure shown in FIG. 1, a power source and four conductive layers are connected to each other by a known method so that the conductive polymer layers 141 and 142 and the conductive polymer layers 143 and 144 are paired. The actuator 1 can be bent by applying a voltage to each conductive polymer layer so as to be an electrode. For example, when a voltage is applied to the pair of conductive polymer layers 141 and 142, the actuator bends in the X direction in FIG. When a voltage is applied to the pair of conductive polymer layers 143 and 144, the actuator bends in the Y direction in FIG. These bending motions can be combined, and the actuator 1 adjusts the amount of displacement by adjusting the voltages applied to the four conductive polymer layers, so that the X direction and the Y direction in FIG. The actuator can be bent in any direction on the plane to be formed.

  When the bending drive device is used as a medical tube such as a catheter in the actuator having the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the resin tube having flexibility is a known resin tube that can be used as a medical tube. For example, a known nylon catheter tube (for example, trade name “BPEA” manufactured by ZEON MEDICAL CO., LTD.) Can be used.

  The conductive polymer layer is not particularly limited, but is preferably one that can be obtained by an electrolytic polymerization method because it is easy to manufacture. In the above description, the method of forming the conductive polymer layer on the conductive layer after forming the four conductive layers when forming the actuator having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 has been described. However, by forming a conductive layer on the entire outer surface of the resin tube by sputtering or the like and forming a conductive polymer layer on the conductive layer by electrolytic polymerization, an insulating groove is formed by a laser or the like, An actuator having the structure shown in FIG. 1 can also be obtained.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of an actuator provided at the tip of the bending drive device of the present invention. The actuator 21 in FIG. 2 has a structure in which the conductive polymer layer and the electrolyte layer in the structure in FIG. 1 are interchanged, and bends essentially by the same mechanism as in the structure in FIG. In order to obtain the structure of FIG. 2, an electrolyte layer 25 is provided on the outer surface of the tube 22, and then four conductive polymer films 24 prepared separately by electrolytic polymerization are installed to form a conductive polymer layer. To do. Further, a conductive layer 23 that can be used as an auxiliary electrode such as gold or platinum is attached on the conductive polymer layer. Furthermore, like the actuator having the configuration shown in FIG. 1, it can be sealed with an exterior film as the outermost layer. Although the auxiliary electrode can be omitted, the applied voltage in each part of the conductive polymer layer can be set to a certain level or more, and the auxiliary electrode is installed in order to fully exhibit the actuator performance of the conductive polymer. Is preferred. The actuator having the configuration shown in FIG. 2 can be bent by the displacement of the conductive polymer layer in the same manner as the actuator having the configuration shown in FIG. 1, and can be used as an actuator installed at the distal end portion of the bending drive device.

  A known conductive polymer can be used for the conductive polymer layer of the present invention, and polypyrrole, polythiophene, polyaniline, polyphenylene, or the like can be used. In particular, as the conductive polymer, a conductive polymer containing pyrrole and / or a pyrrole derivative in the molecular chain is easy to manufacture and is not only stable as a conductive polymer, but also has an electrolytic stretching performance. It is preferable because of its superiority. In addition, since the conductive polymer exhibits an excellent stretch rate per one redox cycle in electrolytic stretch, and can also exhibit a displacement rate per specific time, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid ions and / or central atoms It is preferable that an anion containing a plurality of fluorine atoms is contained as a dopant.

  In addition, the conductive polymer layer includes a conductive polymer having elasticity due to electrochemical oxidation-reduction, and the conductive polymer is a conductive polymer manufactured by an electrolytic polymerization method, The polymerization method includes, as a solvent, an organic compound and / or a halogenated hydrocarbon containing at least one bond or functional group of an ether bond, an ester bond, a carbonate bond, a hydroxyl group, a nitro group, a sulfone group, and a nitrile group. It is preferable that an electrolytic solution is used, and the electrolytic solution contains a trifluoromethanesulfonate ion and / or an anion containing a plurality of fluorine atoms with respect to the central atom. The conductive polymer layer is preferably in the form of a film because it is formed on the working electrode during electrolytic polymerization. The working electrode in the electrolytic polymerization is not particularly limited as long as it can be used for electrolytic polymerization, and an ITO glass electrode, a metal electrode, or the like can be used. However, when the structure of FIG. 1 described above is prepared, a conductive layer is directly provided on the tube, so that it is necessary to be a thin layer that does not impair the flexibility of the tube.

  In particular, as a dopant, the conductive polymer layer in the actuator includes a trifluoromethanesulfonate ion and / or an anion containing a plurality of fluorine atoms with respect to the central atom. Electrolytic expansion and contraction of molecules was obtained only up to about 1% per redox cycle in the direction perpendicular to the layer width, whereas 8% or more per redox cycle in the direction perpendicular to the layer width, particularly 10%. %, It was possible to show an excellent stretch rate of at least%. In addition, the conductive polymer can generate a force of 10 MPa or more greatly exceeding the force of about 5 MPa, which is the generation force of the conventional conductive polymer. Therefore, it is possible to generate a larger force and is optimal as the bending drive device.

  The conductive polymer layer of the present invention is a conductive polymer layer containing polypyrrole obtained by a method for producing polypyrrole using an electropolymerization method, and the production method is an electrolysis method used for an electropolymerization method. It is preferable that the liquid contains pyrrole and / or a pyrrole derivative as a monomer component, the electrolytic solution contains an aromatic ester as a solvent, and the electrolytic solution is a method for producing polypyrrole containing perchlorate ions. The polypyrrole film can expand and contract at a rate of expansion / reduction per oxidation-reduction of 10% or more as a maximum expansion / contraction rate by electrolytic expansion / contraction, and has a tensile strength of 60 MPa or more. Therefore, an actuator including the polypyrrole film in the conductive polymer layer is preferable because it can exhibit large bending and durability even in a state where there are many obstacles.

  The electrolyte is not particularly limited, and may be a liquid or a solid electrolyte. When the electrolyte is in a liquid state, it may be an aqueous solvent or an organic solvent, but it is easy to handle because it is low in toxicity and has a relatively low volatilization rate, and can be greatly stretched. Since it can do, it is preferable that it is a water solvent. When the electrolytic solution is a solid electrolyte, it may be a gel polymer electrolyte or a completely solid polymer electrolyte, but a gel polymer electrolyte is preferred because of its high ionic conductivity in the electrolyte. As the gel used for the gel polymer electrolyte, polyacrylamide, polyethylene glycol, agar or the like is preferably used because it can be easily combined with an aqueous electrolyte to prepare a gel polymer electrolyte. It is preferable that the electrolyte is an electrolyte containing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of trifluoromethanesulfonate ions, anions containing a plurality of fluorine atoms with respect to the central atom, and sulfonates having 3 or less carbon atoms. Is preferable because it can cause further expansion and contraction per one oxidation-reduction cycle.

  The electrolyte may be an ion exchange resin containing dopant ions. When an ion exchange resin having a metal layer formed by an electroless plating method is used for the electrolyte, the surface of the ion exchange resin and the conductive polymer layer on the surface opposite to the surface on which the metal layer is formed. And the metal layer becomes a counter electrode. That is, the counter electrode can be easily formed by using an ion exchange resin provided with a metal layer. An actuator using an ion exchange resin having a metal layer formed by electroless plating as the electrolyte is preferable from the viewpoint of manufacturability for easily forming the counter electrode.

  The actuator includes a counter electrode in order to be driven when a voltage is applied to the conductive polymer layer, similarly to an actuator that operates when the conventional conductive polymer is driven. In the structure of FIG. 1, the conductive layer can function as a counter electrode. The shape of the counter electrode is not particularly limited as long as it is made of a conductive material that has flexibility and can be used as an electrode. The shape may be a rod shape, a line shape, a film shape, or a plate shape. The counter electrode may constitute a stacked structure of actuators as a conductive layer, as in the structure of FIG. Moreover, the material of the said counter electrode is not specifically limited, The metal containing noble metals, such as gold | metal | money and platinum, may be sufficient as a kind, and electroconductive nonmetals, such as conductive resin and ITO glass, may be sufficient as it. . The counter electrode material is preferably a noble metal, more preferably platinum or gold, because it is difficult to corrode and is easily processed. In addition, since the dopant ions in the electrolyte layer are de-injected into the conductive polymer layer, the counter electrode is formed on the electrolyte layer and is not substantially short-circuited with the conductive polymer. It is preferable not to touch.

  In addition to the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the actuator having the configuration shown in FIGS. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of an actuator provided at the distal end portion of the medical tube of the present invention. 3 includes a conductive layer 33 on the outer surface of a flexible resin tube 32, a conductive polymer layer 34 on the conductive layer, and the conductive polymer layer 34 on the conductive polymer layer. This is an actuator having a multilayer structure in which an electrolyte layer 35 including a metal layer 36 is formed. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of an actuator provided at the distal end portion of the medical tube of the present invention. The actuator 41 shown in FIG. 4 includes an electrolyte layer 45 on a metal layer 46 on the outer surface of a flexible resin tube 42, but a multi-layer body is formed, and a conductive polymer layer is formed on the electrolyte layer. 44 is an actuator in which a conductive layer 43 is formed on the conductive polymer layer.

  In the case of the actuator having the structure shown in FIG. 3, the four conductive polymer layers 34 can be expanded and contracted independently because the conductive layer 23 and the metal layer 36 can be used as a pair of electrodes. In order to bend as a catheter, it is necessary to apply a voltage so that one of the pair of conductive polymer layers facing each other extends and the other contracts. The structure of FIG. 4 is a structure in which the conductive polymer layer and the ion exchange resin layer of the structure of FIG. 3 are interchanged. Therefore, the actuator of FIG. 4 operates essentially the same as the actuator of FIG. 3 and 4 is preferably covered with a flexible resin such as urethane rubber, similarly to the actuator shown in FIG.

  3 and 4 preferably includes a conductive layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer. This is because a voltage can be easily applied to the conductive polymer layer by applying a voltage to the conductive layer when the conductive layer is in contact with the conductive polymer layer. When the actuator includes a base resin layer made of a flexible tube and a conductive polymer layer on the base resin layer, a conductive layer is formed on the base resin layer, and the conductive layer is By using the working electrode in electrolytic polymerization, the actuator in which the conductive polymer layer is in contact with the conductive layer can be obtained by a simple method. In this case, the actuator has a structure including a laminated structure including the conductive polymer layer between the conductive layer and the electrolyte layer.

  The actuator used in the bending drive device of the present invention can have a structure in which a conductive polymer layer and an electrolyte layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer are provided on a cylindrical or columnar base resin layer. By providing the conductive polymer layer on the cylindrical or columnar base resin layer, the size of the catheter as the distal end of the catheter can be obtained even if the conductive polymer layer is not thicker than the thickness sufficient for driving. It is because it can be set as an actuator.

  As long as the base resin layer has a cylindrical or columnar shape, it may have a cylindrical shape, a columnar shape, a prismatic shape, or the like. In addition, when the bending drive device is used as a catheter that is a medical tube, the base resin layer is formed of a cylindrical body that is hollow on the inside because of the need to release a drug from the tip. Is preferred. The base resin layer is preferably formed of a columnar body when a device such as a CCD camera is attached to the tip of the bending drive device.

  In the case where the actuator of the present invention includes a laminated structure including the conductive polymer layer between the conductive layer and the electrolyte layer on the base resin layer, the multilayer structure is provided alone on the base resin layer. Is preferably provided. When the laminated structure is provided alone on the base resin layer, the actuator can be bent in one direction such as left and right. When the actuator is an actuator that guides the traveling direction of the medical tube in a plurality of directions by bending it in a plurality of directions such as up, down, left and right, such as when the bending driving device is used for a medical tube such as a catheter or an endoscope. It is preferable that a plurality of portions having the laminated structure are provided on the base resin layer in a substantially insulated state. In order to obtain an actuator provided with a portion having the laminated structure on the base resin layer, for example, a flexible cylindrical body is used as the base resin layer, and the entire outer surface of the cylindrical body is used. The laminated structure can be formed by cutting the laminated structure with a laser along the length direction of the cylindrical body.

  It is preferable that four or more portions including the laminated structure formed on the base resin layer are provided along the length direction of the actuator. With such a structure, it is possible to easily bend in a plurality of directions such as up, down, left, and right by applying a voltage to the conductive polymer layer of the laminated structure portion.

  In the bending drive device of the present invention, it is preferable that the conductive polymer layer is not substantially exposed to the outside of the actuator. When the conductive polymer is exposed to the outside, dopant ions in the conductive polymer flow out to the outside, and not only the bending amount and generated force of the actuator are reduced, but also the dopant ions are transferred to the human body. This is because there is a concern about the influence. An example of a method for preventing the conductive polymer layer from being substantially exposed to the outside of the actuator is a method of covering a surface where the actuator and the outside are in contact with a flexible resin. The resin is not particularly limited as long as it is a flexible resin, and silicon resin, urethane resin, silicon rubber, or the like can be used.

  Further, in the actuator provided at the distal end portion of the bending drive device of the present invention, the conductive polymer layer is formed of a cylindrical body containing a conductive polymer, and the cylindrical body is a conductive polymer having elasticity with the conductive polymer. The actuator is preferably a composite structure with a conductive substrate. When the conductive polymer layer is a composite structure of a conductive polymer and a stretchable conductive substrate, the conductive substrate is energized when a voltage is applied to the conductive polymer layer. This is because a sufficient voltage can be easily applied to the conductive polymer layer.

  In the case where the conductive polymer layer is a composite structure of a conductive polymer and a conductive substrate having elasticity, the composite structure is a cylindrical body, so that the cavity inside the cylindrical body is formed. By adopting a structure including an electrolyte and a counter electrode, a structure as an actuator can be easily formed. In addition, in the case where a structure including an electrolyte and a counter electrode is provided in the hollow portion inside the cylindrical body, a separator such as a nonwoven fabric is installed on the inner surface of the cylindrical body, or a separator such as a nonwoven fabric is attached to the counter electrode. It is preferable to install on the outer periphery. This is because such a structure can easily prevent a short circuit between the counter electrode and the conductive polymer layer. In addition, the cylindrical body which is the said composite structure can be obtained with the manufacturing method of the electroconductive polymer using the electrolytic polymerization method which used the coiled electroconductive bases, such as a metal spring, as a working electrode.

  The present invention relates to a micro device having an actuator at a tip, wherein the actuator includes a conductive polymer layer and an electrolyte layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer, and a voltage is applied to the conductive polymer layer. Thus, the actuator is driven by the micro device. The micro device has the same configuration as the above-described bending drive device, so that the actuator can generate a strong force to press against the outside, and even in situations where there are many obstacles, the treatment site or repair can be easily performed. You can progress to the point.

  The configuration of the actuator and the medical tube from FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 can be used as the configuration of the microdevice and the medical tube using the microdevice according to the present invention.

  The micro device preferably includes a conductive layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer, similarly to the bending driving device. This is because when the conductive layer is in contact with the conductive polymer layer, a voltage can be easily applied to the conductive polymer layer by applying a voltage to the conductive layer.

  The microdevice has a structure in which the actuator includes a conductive polymer layer and an electrolyte layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer on a cylindrical or columnar base resin layer, similarly to the bending drive device. can do. By providing the conductive polymer layer on the cylindrical or columnar base resin layer, the size of the catheter as the distal end of the catheter can be obtained even if the conductive polymer layer is not thicker than the thickness sufficient for driving. It is because it can be set as an actuator.

  In the microdevice, when the actuator includes a laminated structure including the conductive polymer layer between the conductive layer and the electrolyte layer on the base resin layer, the laminated structure is the base resin. It is preferable to be provided alone on the layer. When the laminated structure is provided alone on the base resin layer, the actuator can be bent in one direction such as left and right. When the actuator is an actuator that bends in a plurality of directions such as up, down, left and right, such as when the micro device is used in a medical tube such as a catheter or an endoscope, and guides the traveling direction of the medical tube in a plurality of directions. It is preferable to provide a plurality of portions having the laminated structure on the base resin layer in a substantially insulated state.

  In the micro device, it is preferable that four or more portions of the actuator including the laminated structure are provided on the base resin layer along the length direction of the actuator, similarly to the bending driving device. . With such a structure, it is possible to easily bend in a plurality of directions such as up, down, left, and right by applying a voltage to the conductive polymer layer of the laminated structure portion.

  The actuator provided at the tip of the micro device is formed of a cylindrical body in which the conductive polymer layer includes a conductive polymer, and the cylindrical body expands and contracts with the conductive polymer, similarly to the above-described bending drive device. The actuator is preferably a composite structure with a conductive base having a property. When the conductive polymer layer is a composite structure of a conductive polymer and a stretchable conductive substrate, the conductive substrate is energized when a voltage is applied to the conductive polymer layer. This is because a sufficient voltage can be easily applied to the conductive polymer layer. In addition, the use of the composite structure is a cylindrical body, and thus it is easy to form a structure as an actuator by providing a structure including an electrolyte and a counter electrode in a hollow portion inside the cylindrical body. Can be.

  In the actuator provided at the tip portion of the microdevice, the conductive polymer layer includes a conductive polymer having stretchability by electrochemical oxidation-reduction, similar to the bending drive device, and the conductive high layer. The molecule is a conductive polymer produced by an electrolytic polymerization method, and the electrolytic polymerization method includes at least one of an ether bond, an ester bond, a carbonate bond, a hydroxyl group, a nitro group, a sulfone group, and a nitrile group. Using an electrolytic solution containing a bond or a functional group-containing organic compound and / or a halogenated hydrocarbon as a solvent, the electrolytic solution contains a trifluoromethanesulfonate ion and / or an anion containing a plurality of fluorine atoms with respect to the central atom. It is preferable.

  In the micro device, it is preferable that the conductive polymer layer has an expansion / contraction ratio of 8% or more in the direction perpendicular to the layer width in the actuator, similarly to the bending driving device.

  Further, the microdevice is a conductive polymer layer containing a polypyrrole obtained by a method for producing polypyrrole using an electrolytic polymerization method, as in the above-described bending drive device, Production method of producing polypyrrole in which an electrolytic solution used in an electrolytic polymerization method contains pyrrole and / or a pyrrole derivative as a monomer component, the electrolytic solution contains an aromatic ester as a solvent, and the electrolytic solution contains perchlorate ions A method is preferred. The polypyrrole can expand and contract at a rate of expansion / contraction per oxidation-reduction of 10% or more as a maximum expansion / contraction rate by electrolytic expansion / contraction, and has a tensile strength of 60 MPa or more. Therefore, an actuator including the polypyrrole in the conductive polymer layer is preferable because it can exhibit large bending and durability even in a state where there are many obstacles.

The bending drive device and the micro device of the present invention include an inspection device and a repair tool used for inspection and repair in the industrial field, and an endoscopic operation such as ophthalmic surgery or laparoscopic surgery used for inspection or treatment in the medical field. It can be suitably used for medical tubes including mirrors and catheters, tweezers, scissors, forceps, snare, laser scalpel, spatula and clips in microsurgery technology.

Sectional drawing of the one embodiment example of the actuator with which a front-end | tip part is equipped in the bending drive apparatus and microdevice of this invention. Sectional drawing of the 2nd embodiment of the actuator with which the front-end | tip part is provided in the bending drive apparatus and microdevice of this invention. Sectional drawing of the 3rd example of an embodiment of the actuator with which a front-end | tip part is equipped in the bending drive apparatus and microdevice of this invention. Sectional drawing of the 4th example of an embodiment of the actuator with which a front-end | tip part is provided in the bending drive apparatus and microdevice of this invention. The schematic diagram of the one embodiment example of the medical tube using the curve drive device of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1, 21 Actuator 2, 22 Flexible resin tube (base resin layer)
3, 23 Conductive layers 141, 142 Conductive polymer layers 143, 144 Conductive polymer layer 24 Conductive polymer layers 5, 25 Electrolyte layers 31, 41 Actuators 32, 42 Flexible resin tube (base resin) layer)
33, 43 Conductive layer 34, 44 Conductive polymer layer 35, 45 Electrolyte layer 36, 46 Metal layer 51 Bending drive device 52 Guide member 53 Actuator 54, 54 'Lead wire 55 Power supply

Claims (21)

A bending drive device having an actuator at a tip,
The actuator includes a conductive polymer layer , an electrolyte layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer, and a conductive layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer ;
A laminated structure including the conductive polymer layer between the conductive layer and the electrolyte layer is provided on a cylindrical or columnar base resin layer,
A bending drive device, wherein the actuator is driven by applying a voltage to the conductive polymer layer. 2. The bending drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a plurality of portions provided with the laminated structure on the base resin layer in a substantially insulated state. Bending drive device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that portion including the laminated structure on the base resin layer is provided with four or more along the longitudinal direction of the actuator. The bending drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the conductive polymer layer is not substantially exposed to the outside of the actuator. The bending drive device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive polymer layer is covered with a flexible resin. The conductive polymer layer is formed by a cylindrical body containing an electric conductive polymer, according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical body is a composite structure of a conductive substrate having stretchability and a conductive polymer The bending drive device according to any one of? The bending drive device according to claim 6 , wherein an electrolyte is provided in an inner portion of the cylindrical body. The conductive polymer is
A conductive polymer produced by electrolytic polymerization,
In the electropolymerization method, an organic compound and / or a halogenated hydrocarbon containing at least one bond or functional group selected from an ether bond, an ester bond, a carbonate bond, a hydroxyl group, a nitro group, a sulfone group, and a nitrile group are used as a solvent. Using the electrolyte solution as
The bending drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the electrolytic solution includes a trifluoromethanesulfonate ion and / or an anion containing a plurality of fluorine atoms with respect to a central atom. The bending drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the conductive polymer layer has an expansion / contraction ratio of 8% or more in a direction perpendicular to the layer width. The conductive polymer layer is a conductive polymer layer containing polypyrrole obtained by a method for producing polypyrrole using an electrolytic polymerization method, and the production method includes pyrrole and an electrolytic solution used in the electrolytic polymerization method. The bending drive according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein a pyrrole derivative is contained as a monomer component, the electrolyte contains an aromatic ester as a solvent, and the electrolyte contains perchlorate ions. apparatus. A microdevice having an actuator at the tip,
The actuator includes a conductive polymer layer , an electrolyte layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer, and a conductive layer in contact with the conductive polymer layer ;
A laminated structure including the conductive polymer layer between the conductive layer and the electrolyte layer is provided on a cylindrical or columnar base resin layer,
A microdevice, wherein the actuator is driven by applying a voltage to the conductive polymer layer. 12. The micro device according to claim 11 , wherein the actuator includes a plurality of portions each provided with the laminated structure on the base resin layer in a substantially insulated state. The micro device according to claim 11 or 12 , wherein four or more portions including the laminated structure are provided on the base resin layer along a length direction of the actuator. The microdevice according to claim 11 , wherein the conductive polymer layer is not substantially exposed to the outside of the actuator. The microdevice according to claim 11, wherein the conductive polymer layer is covered with a flexible resin. The conductive polymer layer is formed by a cylindrical body containing an electric conductive polymer, according to claim 11, wherein the cylindrical body is a composite structure of a conductive substrate having stretchability and a conductive polymer The microdevice according to any one of -15 . The microdevice according to claim 16 , wherein an electrolyte is provided in an inner portion of the cylindrical body. The conductive polymer is
A conductive polymer produced by electrolytic polymerization,
In the electropolymerization method, an organic compound and / or a halogenated hydrocarbon containing at least one bond or functional group selected from an ether bond, an ester bond, a carbonate bond, a hydroxyl group, a nitro group, a sulfone group, and a nitrile group are used as a solvent. Using the electrolyte solution as
The microdevice according to any one of claims 11 to 17 , wherein the electrolytic solution contains a trifluoromethanesulfonate ion and / or an anion containing a plurality of fluorine atoms with respect to a central atom. The micro device according to claim 11 , wherein the conductive polymer layer has an expansion / contraction ratio of 8% or more in a direction perpendicular to the layer width. The conductive polymer layer is a conductive polymer layer containing polypyrrole obtained by a method for producing polypyrrole using an electrolytic polymerization method, and the production method includes pyrrole and an electrolytic solution used in the electrolytic polymerization method. The micro device according to any one of claims 11 to 19 , wherein a pyrrole derivative is contained as a monomer component, the electrolytic solution contains an aromatic ester as a solvent, and the electrolytic solution contains perchlorate ions. . A medical tube using the microdevice according to claim 11 .

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