<p>Soft and flexible robotics is an emerging field that attracts a huge interest due to its ability to produce bioinspired devices that are easily adaptable to the environment. Biohybrid Machines (BHM) represent a category of soft robots that integrate biological tissues, such as engineered muscle tissues, as actuating systems. Although these devices present several advantages in some applications, their proper actuation still represents a challenge for researchers. This paper focuses on the development of a portable and programmable electrical stimulator designed to control muscle fiber-based biohybrid actuators. The stimulator, made using off-the-shelf components, was designed as a stacking of three independent printed circuit boards (PCBs), connected vertically in order to result in a final device with compact dimensions of 59 mm <InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="41598_2025_6465_Article_IEq1.gif" Format="GIF" Height="13" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="19" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(\times\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mo>×</mo> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation> 28 mm <InlineEquation ID="IEq2"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="41598_2025_6465_Article_IEq1.gif" Format="GIF" Height="13" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="19" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(\times\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mo>×</mo> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation> 25 mm. The stimulation circuit is capable of delivering currents up to 18 mA with a voltage compliance of ± 90 V, and a power consumption of approximately 1.3 W. The device’s ability to induce twitch and tetanic contractions in a biohybrid actuator is demonstrated in different stimulation conditions. A practical application was also explored through a test case involving a flexible catheter prototype controlled by a biohybrid actuator, demonstrating its potential utility in a BHMs.</p>

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Development of an electrical current stimulator for controlling biohybrid machines

  • Riccardo Collu,
  • Judith Fuentes,
  • Florencia Lezcano,
  • Maria Crespo-Cuadraro,
  • Andrea Bartolucci,
  • Leonardo Ricotti,
  • Lorenzo Vannozzi,
  • Samuel Sánchez,
  • Stefano Lai,
  • Massimo Barbaro

摘要

Soft and flexible robotics is an emerging field that attracts a huge interest due to its ability to produce bioinspired devices that are easily adaptable to the environment. Biohybrid Machines (BHM) represent a category of soft robots that integrate biological tissues, such as engineered muscle tissues, as actuating systems. Although these devices present several advantages in some applications, their proper actuation still represents a challenge for researchers. This paper focuses on the development of a portable and programmable electrical stimulator designed to control muscle fiber-based biohybrid actuators. The stimulator, made using off-the-shelf components, was designed as a stacking of three independent printed circuit boards (PCBs), connected vertically in order to result in a final device with compact dimensions of 59 mm \(\times\) × 28 mm \(\times\) × 25 mm. The stimulation circuit is capable of delivering currents up to 18 mA with a voltage compliance of ± 90 V, and a power consumption of approximately 1.3 W. The device’s ability to induce twitch and tetanic contractions in a biohybrid actuator is demonstrated in different stimulation conditions. A practical application was also explored through a test case involving a flexible catheter prototype controlled by a biohybrid actuator, demonstrating its potential utility in a BHMs.