Herzog Hendrik, Klein Adrian, Bleckmann Horst, Holik Peter, Schmitz Sam, Siebke Georg, Tätzner Simon, Lacher Manfred, Steltenkamp Siegfried
Institut für Zoologie der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Poppelsdorfer Schloss, D-53115 Bonn, Germany. Micro Systems Technology (MST), Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), D-53175 Bonn, Germany.
Bioinspir Biomim. 2015 Apr 16;10(3):036001. doi: 10.1088/1748-3190/10/3/036001.
In the area of biomimetics, engineers use inspiration from natural systems to develop technical devices, such as sensors. One example is the lateral line system of fish. It is a mechanoreceptive system consisting of up to several thousand individual sensors called neuromasts, which enable fish to sense prey, predators, or conspecifics. So far, the small size and high sensitivity of the lateral line is unmatched by man-made sensor devices. Here, we describe an artificial lateral line system based on an optical detection principle. We developed artificial canal neuromasts using MEMS technology including thick film techniques. In this work, we describe the MEMS fabrication and characterize a sensor prototype. Our sensor consists of a silicon chip, a housing, and an electronic circuit. We demonstrate the functionality of our μ-biomimetic flow sensor by analyzing its response to constant water flow and flow fluctuations. Furthermore, we discuss the sensor robustness and sensitivity of our sensor and its suitability for industrial and medical applications. In sum, our sensor can be used for many tasks, e.g. for monitoring fluid flow in medical applications, for detecting leakages in tap water systems or for air and gas flow measurements. Finally, our flow sensor can even be used to improve current knowledge about the functional significance of the fish lateral line.
在仿生学领域，工程师从自然系统中获取灵感来开发技术设备，如传感器。一个例子是鱼类的侧线系统。它是一个机械感受系统，由多达数千个称为神经丘的单个传感器组成，这些传感器使鱼类能够感知猎物、捕食者或同种个体。到目前为止，侧线的小尺寸和高灵敏度是人造传感器设备无法比拟的。在此，我们描述一种基于光学检测原理的人工侧线系统。我们利用包括厚膜技术在内的微机电系统（MEMS）技术开发了人工管道神经丘。在这项工作中，我们描述了MEMS制造过程并对一个传感器原型进行了表征。我们的传感器由一个硅芯片、一个外壳和一个电子电路组成。我们通过分析其对恒定水流和水流波动的响应来展示我们的微仿生流量传感器的功能。此外，我们讨论了传感器的稳健性和灵敏度以及它在工业和医疗应用中的适用性。总之，我们的传感器可用于许多任务，例如在医疗应用中监测流体流动、检测自来水系统中的泄漏或进行空气和气体流量测量。最后，我们的流量传感器甚至可用于增进目前对鱼类侧线功能重要性的了解。
