Printing a Pacinian Corpuscle: Modeling and Performance.

Kieran Barrett-Snyder,Nathan Lazarus,W Alberts,Brendan Hanrahan,Susan Lane

doi:10.3390/mi12050574

Kieran Barrett-Snyder, Nathan Lazarus + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12050574

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Abstract

The Pacinian corpuscle is a highly sensitive mammalian sensor cell that exhibits a unique band-pass sensitivity to vibrations. The cell achieves this band-pass response through the use of 20 to 70 elastic layers entrapping layers of viscous fluid. This paper develops and explores a scalable mechanical model of the Pacinian corpuscle and uses the model to predict the response of synthetic corpuscles, which could be the basis for future vibration sensors. The −3dB point of the biological cell is accurately mimicked using the geometries and materials available with off-the-shelf 3D printers. The artificial corpuscles here are constructed using uncured photoresist within structures printed in a commercial stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer, allowing the creation of trapped fluid layers analogous to the biological cell. Multi-layer artificial Pacinian corpuscles are vibration tested over the range of 20–3000 Hz and the response is in good agreement with the model.

Highlights

When you run your fingers along a surface, interactions between your fingerprints and surface topography generate vibrations in your skin [1]
A modified Pacinian Corpuscle (PC) is modeled based on the restrictions of our fabrication process
The artificial PCs are subjected to indentation to determine compression

Summary

Introduction

When you run your fingers along a surface, interactions between your fingerprints and surface topography generate vibrations in your skin [1]. The Pacinian Corpuscle (PC) is the most sensitive mechanoreceptor in the human body in the range of 5 Hz–1 kHz [2,3,4,5] with a peak sensitivity at 250 Hz [6,7], and is capable of sensing vibrations with a minimum displacement of 10 nm [8]. This high sensitivity gives humans their fine sense of touch [9]. An artificial sensor based on the PC could find uses in tactile interfaces for medical instruments or prosthetics [15,16,17]

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