Computational Design of a Soft Robotic Myocardium for Biomimetic Motion and Function

摘要

Soft robotic devices containing multiple actuating elements have successfullyrecapitulated complex biological motion, leading to their utility in biomedicalapplications. However, there are inherent nonlinear mechanics associatedwith soft composite materials where soft actuators are embedded in elastomericmatrices. Predicting their overall behavior prior to fabrication andsubsequent experimental characterization can therefore present a hurdle inthe design process and in efficiently satisfying functional requirements andspecifications. In this work, a computational design framework for optimizingthe motion and function of biomimetic soft robotic composites is demonstratedby conducting a design case study of soft robotic cardiac muscle(myocardium) with a particular focus on applications including replicatingand assisting cardiac motion and function. A finite element model of a softrobotic myocardium is built, in which actuators are prescribed with anisotropicstrain to simulate local deformation, and various design parametersare investigated by evaluating the performance of each configuration in termsof ventricular twist, volumetric output, and pressure generation. Then, anoptimized design is proposed that recapitulates the physiological motion andhemodynamics of the heart, and its thrombogenicity is further explored usinga fluid-structure interaction model. This framework has broader utility in predictingthe performance of other soft robotic embedded composites.