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Researchers develop flow sensors based on hair structures of blind cavefish
Date:3/24/2009

and built with conventional CMOS microfabrication technology. They found that the cell by itself could not achieve the high sensitivity or long-range detection of hydrodynamic disturbances created by moving or stationary bodies in a flow field. The hair cell needed the gel-like capsule called the cupula to overcome these challenges.

"After covering the hair cell with synthetic cupula, our bio-inspired microsensor had the ability to detect flow better than the blind fish. The fish can detect flow slower than 100 micrometers per second, but our system demonstrated flow detection of several micrometers per second," said Tsukruk, who also holds an appointment in Georgia Tech's School of Polymer, Textile and Fiber Engineering. "Adding the cupula allowed us to detect a much smaller amount of flow and expand the dynamic range because it suppressed the background noise."

In addition, the hydrogel encapsulation protects the sensors and increases their ability to withstand deformation due to impact. It also helps the hairs better withstand the marine environment by resisting corrosion and microorganism growth.

Before the research team began synthesizing the gel-like material in the laboratory, they used optical microscopy and confocal fluorescence microscopy to determine the size, shape and properties of real cavefish cupula. One type of cupula they found was cylindrical-shaped, with a height approximately five times larger than its diameter. The tallest part of the cupula was far enough away from the surface that it was exposed to free-flowing water and could bend with the hair to detect changes in flow.

To create the synthetic cupula in the laboratory, McConney dropped a solution of poly(ethylene glycol) tetraacrylate dissolved in methanol directly on the hair flow sensor. Once the droplet dried, he lowered another droplet until it made contact with the last drop and continued adding droplets until he constructed a tall hydrogel stru
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Contact: Abby Vogel
avogel@gatech.edu
404-385-3364
Georgia Institute of Technology Research News
Source:Eurekalert  

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