Abstract
Reported are the characteristics of some newly developed ionic polymeric-noble metal composites such as Perfluorinated Sulfonic Acid-Platinum composites exhibiting low-voltage, electrically-controlled distributed large motion and sensing capability mimicking biological muscles. Reported further are modeling, design, fabrication and testing of a number of heart assist devices, i.e., LVAD (left ventricular assist devices) equipped with these muscles and activated by a computer-controlled voltage signal generator such as micro-processor controlled heart pace maker. The proposed designs include a pleated jacket made with such artificial muscles and worn by a weak heart with sleeves around the Aorta, Pulmonary and other pertinent veins such as the coronary veins around the heart. The model also presents an electrodynamic analysis of the synchronous contraction of the artificial muscles wrapped around the heart with the heart muscle itself similar to dynamic cardiomyoplasty.
