Soft Materials
3D printing technology enables the production of lost-wax casted soft silicone pumps, which are driven by combustion and can be used to build soft motors (e.g., an artificial heart) and soft robots. Other projects include the development of bio-inspired self-defending materials and sustainable air purification techniques.
Contact: Wendelin Stark
Current widely implanted artificial blood pumps are made of rigid materials and produce continuous blood flow. However, the human heart is soft and gives a pulsatile blood flow. Thus, we propose that an ideal artificial heart would be made of soft materials only and mimic the human heart as closely as possible to give the most physiological blood flow possible.
At the moment, we try to increase the sTAH pump performance, lifetime, and design. These next development goals should give a true alternative to current continuously pumping support devices.
Publications in this area:
- Adv. Funct. Mater., 2015 external page Link
- SoRo., 2015 external page Link
- RSC Adv., 2014 external page Link
- Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2014 external page Link
- CardioVasc. Thorac. Surg., 2013 external page Link
- Adv. Funct. Mater., 2013 external page Link
Contact: Wendelin Stark
We are developing novel actuation systems to power our soft Total Artificial Heart. In its current design, the central volume displacement of the sTAH is driven by an external hydraulic drive. This solution is not suitable for clinical applications. We are therefore exploring solutions for an implantable pulsatile volume displacement actuator that can be contained completely within the patient’s body.
Contact: Prof. Wendelin Stark
The sophisticated defence mechanism of the bombardier beetle inspired us to develop a self-defending surface. Compounds, namely hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and manganese oxide (MnO2), are stored in different layers within the surface. Upon fracture by a mechanical trigger, the compounds mix and hot foam leaks the surface. As an application we proposed the implementation in money security systems as in ATMs by adding a dye and forensic DNA nanoparticles. An improper opening of the money cassette would lead to coloured and devalued money bills, which are labelled and can be assigned to the related ATM machine.
Publications in the area:
- J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014. external page Link
Contact: Prof. Wendelin Stark
Everyone is happy when he or she can breathe clean and safe air. Something that is obvious in developed countries can be a cost and energy intensive challenge elsewhere. Even in developed countries huge savings can be made in air purification. Instead of replacing indoor air several times per hour we seek for sustainable strategies to remove air pollutants and regenerate in situ the used air purifier. To allow market relevant solutions, we combine established technologies and materials to new concepts.
Publication in the area:
- J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014. external page Link
- Appl. Catal. B: Environmental, 2013. external page Link