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Cyborg Earthworm
Japanese researchers have developed a tiny smart valve that can be fully powered by the muscles of a living earthworm, no electricity is needed. According to a press release, it would be the first valve of its kind fully powered by living cells.
The valve is a system called Bio-MEMS (biomedical microelectromechanical system) – a kind of technology used in electrochemical sensors.
This system is distinguished by the fact that it only uses real muscle rather than relying on an external power source to open and close the valve. Acetylcholine, a naturally abundant chemical, triggers the movement.
"Bio-friendly"
"Not only can our bio-MEMS work without an external power source, but unlike other acid-controlled chemical control valves, our muscle-powered valve works on naturally abundant molecules in living organisms," says Yo Tanaka, first research author at the RIKEN Biosystems Dynamics Research Center. "This makes it bio-friendly and particularly suitable for medical applications in which the use of electricity is difficult or discouraged."
The team hopes to be able to create a whole series of "cultured muscle cells" that could one day be used in medical implants, but they will have to consider a much lower force compared to the actual muscle.
READ MORE: Cyborg-type microscopic valve driven by the worm muscle [RIKEN]
More about cyborg technology: Cyborgs have arrived: researchers are putting live cells in the hands of a robot
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