Marc J. Madou is Chancellor’s Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California. He is also author of Fundamentals of Microfabrication and Nanotechnology, considered the Bible of aerospace engineering. Dr. Madou was at IIT, Hyderabad, on Monday to address the faculty of different colleges on Electro Mechanical Spinning (EMS): A New Manufacturing Option. Excerpts from an interview he gave R. AVADHANI
Where do we stand in the research on ‘artificial muscle for responsive drug delivery system’?
We have conceptualised the idea and some parts have already been prepared. Nobody needs to remember to eat a drug. The idea is that the artificial muscle will be fixed with some sensors. It will open up, deliver a smart pill in the required quantity for any health problem, and then closes. For instance, if a person is diabetic and needs a drug, the artificial muscle opens and pumps in the required quantity of drug, depending on the level of glucose of that person and after monitoring it. It’s a closed loop. In general consumption, the drug levels might be too low or too high. Here, such problem will not be there.
Is the research and manufacturing of artificial muscle complete?
No. We have made parts of it and there is a long way to go to reach the target. Funding is required.
What will be the advantages of Electro-Mechanical Spinning (EMS)?
The biggest innovation is mechanical spinning. EMS allows us to control in both ways. It offers a key advancement in electrostatic fabrication of functional nano-fibres by lowering the operating voltage. This can be advantageous in manufacturing sensors and actuators, energy storage, smart textiles, optoelectronics, tissues engineering, prosthetics, drug delivery, micro resonators and piezoelectric energy generators.
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We have conceptu-alised the idea and some parts have already been prepared
Marc J. Madou is Chancellor’s Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California. He is also author of Fundamentals of Microfabrication and Nanotechnology , considered the Bible of aerospace engineering. Dr. Madou was at IIT, Hyderabad, on Monday to address the faculty of different colleges on Electro Mechanical Spinning (EMS): A New Manufacturing Option . Excerpts from an interview he gave R. AVADHANI
Where do we stand in the research on ‘artificial muscle for responsive drug delivery system’?
We have conceptualised the idea and some parts have already been prepared. Nobody needs to remember to eat a drug. The idea is that the artificial muscle will be fixed with some sensors. It will open up, deliver a smart pill in the required quantity for any health problem, and then closes. For instance, if a person is diabetic and needs a drug, the artificial muscle opens and pumps in the required quantity of drug, depending on the level of glucose of that person and after monitoring it. It’s a closed loop. In general consumption, the drug levels might be too low or too high. Here, such problem will not be there.
Is the research and manufacturing of artificial muscle complete?
No. We have made parts of it and there is a long way to go to reach the target. Funding is required.
What will be the advantages of Electro-Mechanical Spinning (EMS)?
The biggest innovation is mechanical spinning. EMS allows us to control in both ways. It offers a key advancement in electrostatic fabrication of functional nano-fibres by lowering the operating voltage. This can be advantageous in manufacturing sensors and actuators, energy storage, smart textiles, optoelectronics, tissues engineering, prosthetics, drug delivery, micro resonators and piezoelectric energy generators.
