JPH0674213A - Micro-gripper mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a micro-gripper mechanism having its structure simplified, capable of being miniaturized, not requiring temperature control, not affected by solenoid noise, not having any problem of electric shock and capable of being safety used for blood vessel, etc. CONSTITUTION:A micro-gripper mechanism is provided with a pinch rod 2 composed of an optically-strained bimorph, a light guide 4 for radiating light on one side thereof and a pinch rod 1 in an optionally non-strained system subjected to pressure contact of the pinch rod 2 deformed by irradiation of light through the light guide. Holding/releasing state can be controlled by deformation of only one side of the pinch rod 1, moreover the light guide 4 is positioned on the deformation side thereof so that this micro-gripper mechanism may be formed in a simple structure to be housed in its compact size.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a microgripper mechanism using a photostrictive bimorph, which is suitable for forming a sample collecting / transporting device in a thin tube.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a micro gripper using a piezoelectric material or a shape memory alloy has been proposed. However,
The piezoelectric material has a problem that it cannot be used in a living body or in a place where electromagnetic noise is large. Further, in the case of using the shape memory alloy, there is a problem that the device is complicated because a temperature control mechanism is required.

[0003]

The present invention has a simple structure and can be easily miniaturized, does not require temperature control, is not affected by electromagnetic noise, has no problem of electric shock, and can be safely applied to blood vessels and the like. Development of a micro gripper mechanism is an issue.

[0004]

The present invention is modified by a pinch rod made of a photostrictive bimorph, a light guide for irradiating light on one side thereof, and light irradiation through the light guide. The present invention provides a micro-gripper mechanism comprising a non-optical strain type gripping bar that is pressed against the gripping bar.

[0005]

[Function] By irradiating light to one side of a gripping rod made of a photostrictive bimorph via a light guide, the gripping rod is curved with the other side being a small diameter side, and the gripping of a non-optical distortion system opposite to each other. The rod is pressed to form a state in which the object can be held, and when light irradiation is stopped, the original state is restored to form an open state.
Therefore, the holding / opening operation of the grip target can be controlled by irradiating the light and stopping it. Further, by irradiating the curved side with the small diameter at the time of restoration, the pinch rod made of the optical strain bimorph exhibits a deformation behavior opposite to that described above, which can shorten the time required for restoration. it can.

[0006]

EXAMPLE A micro-gripper mechanism of the present invention includes a pinch rod made of a photostrictive bimorph, a light guide for irradiating light on one side thereof, and a light guide for deforming the light guide through the light guide. It consists of a non-photostrictive pinch bar that is pressed against the pinch pin. An example is shown in FIG. Reference numeral 1 is a non-light-distorting pinch bar, 2 is a pinch made of a light-distorting bimorph, and 4 is a light guide.

[0007] The non-optical strain pinch bar 1 has a tip 11 formed in a hook shape so as to be advantageous for holding an object, and has a tail between the sleeve 3 and the cover layer 41 of the light guide 4. Inserted and fixed. The non-optical strain type claw rod can be formed of an appropriate material which is not the optical strain type, for example, various metals, ceramics, polymers, and the like, and the form thereof can be appropriately determined according to the grip target and the like. . Therefore, one or two or more non-optical strain type claw bars can be arranged.

The pinch rods 2 made of a photostrictive bimorph are opposed to each other with a gap so that the hook-shaped tip portions 21 of the pin rods 21 can come into pressure contact with the tip portions 11 of the non-photostrictive pinch rods 1. Is affixed to a non-light distortion type pincer. The pinch rod made of a photostrictive bimorph can have an appropriate form depending on the object to be gripped and the like, and one body or two or more bodies can be arranged.

In the photostrictive bimorph, a photostrictive material that expands when irradiated with light and an electrostrictive material that deforms when an electric field is applied (substantially the same as the photostrictive material) are juxtaposed so that the polarization directions are opposite to each other. Then, it can be formed by providing electrodes on both ends thereof. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1B, when the photostrictive material 23 is irradiated with light, it expands and generates a voltage, and the voltage is applied to the electrostrictive material 22 via the electrodes at both ends, and the electrostrictive material contracts. As a result, the photostrictive bimorph forms a curved state with a small diameter on the electrostrictive material side, returns to the original state when the light irradiation is stopped, and holds and releases the grip target via the pinch bar as described above. Can be achieved.

Examples of the photostrictive material or the electrostrictive material include quartz, ZnS, La ₂ S ₃ , SbSI, SbSI / SbSBr,
KH ₂ PO ₄ , KH ₂ PO ₄ · KD ₂ PO ₄ , glycine sulfate,
Rb ₂ ZnBr ₄ , α-LiIO ₃ (Cr added), LiNbO ₃ , L
iNbO ₃ (Fe added), KNbO ₃ (Fe added), SbNb
O ₄ , (Sr, Ba) Nb ₂ O ₆ , (Pb, La) Nb ₂ O ₆ , Ba
₂ NaNb ₅ O ₁₅ (Fe, Mo added), BaTiO ₃ , BaTiO ₃
(Fe addition), BaTiO ₃ · CaTiO ₃ , PbTiO ₃ , Pb
_{TiO 3 · La (Zn 2/3 Nb} 1/3) O 3, PbTiO 3 · Pb (M
g _1/2 W _1/2 ) O ₃ , PbZrO ₃ · PbTiO ₃ (Nb added),
(Pb, La) (Zr, Ti) O ₃ , K (Ta, Nb) O _{3 and the} like.

The light guide 4 is mounted in the sleeve 3 so as to irradiate light on the side of the light distortion material 23 of the pinch rod 2 made of light distortion bimorph. The light guide 4 in the illustrated example is formed by providing the coating layer 41 on the outer periphery of the optical fiber bundle 42, but in the present invention, a light guide of an appropriate form can be used. The light source for irradiating the pinch rod made of the photostrictive bimorph with light is usually arranged at the end of the light guide.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the gripping rod 2 is deformed by irradiating light (arrow) to the gripping rod 2 made of the photostrictive bimorph on the side of the photostrictive material 23 through the light guide 4. The tip end portion 21 is formed so as to be in pressure contact with the tip end portion 11 of the sandwiching bar 1 that is placed opposite thereto (FIG. 1B), whereby a grip target can be held.

On the other hand, restoration of the pinch rod 2 made of a photostrictive bimorph (FIG. 1A) can be achieved by stopping the irradiation of light, whereby the gripped object can be released.

In the present invention, the time required for restoring the pinch rod made of the above-mentioned optical strain bimorph can be shortened. An example thereof is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the light reflecting portion 5 is provided on the hook portion of the tip portion 11 of the non-optical distortion type pinch rod 1 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and the light guide 6 for irradiating the light reflecting portion 5 with light. It is provided with.

Therefore, the light guide 6 has its tip portion 61.
Is arranged so as to be located between the non-optical strain type pinch rod 1 and the pinch rod 2 made of the optical strain bimorph, and the light radiated through the light guide 6 is the optical strain member of the pinch rod 2. It is formed so as to reach the light reflecting portion 5 without being shielded on the 23 side.

According to the above, as shown in FIG. 2, the light guide 6
And the light reflection part 5, and the pinch rod 2 made of a light distortion bimorph.
The light can be radiated to the electrostrictive material 22 side in the above, and conversely to the above, the electrostrictive material 22 side expands and the photostrictive material 23 side contracts, and the pinch bar 2 is quickly restored. Therefore, the grip target can be held / released with good controllability.

The micro gripper mechanism of the present invention is provided, for example, at the tip of a light guide provided in an image guide, and collects a necessary sample while observing the inside of blood vessels and pipes, and collects chemicals and repair materials. It can be applied to various methods such as supplying to a predetermined place. When applied to a living body, a necessary function such as antithrombotic property is imparted by a surface treatment method with an antithrombotic agent or the like, if necessary.

[0018]

According to the present invention, the holding / opening state can be controlled by deforming only one of the pincers, and the light guide is located on the deformed side, so that the light guide can be housed compactly. It is possible to obtain a micro-gripper mechanism that is excellent and compact. Further, it can be driven by light, there is no fear of electric shock, it is not affected by temperature and electromagnetic noise, and it can be safely applied to a living body such as a blood vessel.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is a sectional explanatory view showing an open state of an embodiment.

FIG. 1 (B) is a sectional explanatory view showing a holding state of the embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional explanatory view showing an open state of another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Non-light distortion type gripping bar 2: Light distortion bimorph gripping bar 4, 6: Light guide 5: Light reflection part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A gripping rod made of a photostrictive bimorph, a light guide for irradiating light on one side thereof, and pressure contact of the gripping rod deformed by light irradiation through the light guide. A micro-gripper mechanism characterized by comprising a non-optical distortion type pinch bar for receiving. 2. The micro gripper according to claim 1, wherein a non-optical distortion type pinch bar is provided with a light reflecting portion, and a light guide for irradiating the light reflecting portion with light is provided. mechanism.