Miniature Biomimetic Acoustic Sensors
Abstract
Stereocilia, Nature's fundamental acoustic sensors are found in all hearing living systems. They are located on hair cells in the cochlea. Deflection of stereocilia, induced by shear in the endolymphatic fluid, generates neural impulses. Stereocilia are also found in the lateral line of fish for water flow detection. Even in non-hearing organisms (hydra, jellyfish, sea anemones), stereocilia may be present as mechanoreceptors for swimming prey detection (plankton). Highly ordered arrays of parallel carbon nanotubes were grown by pyrolysis of acetylene on cobalt within a hexagonal close-packed nanochannel alumina template at 650 degrees Celsius. The nanotubes are characterized by a narrow size distribution, large scale periodicity and high densities. Using this method ordered nanotubes with diameters from 10 nanometers to several hundred nanometers and lengths up to 100 micrometers can be produced. Stereocilia as sensors: 1. Miniature microphones/hydrophones 2. Miniature acoustic imaging arrays 3. Micro-flow detectors 4. Shear stress micro-sensors 5. Microscale bio-sound detectors. Stereocilia as actuators: 1. Similar to crustacean/insect stridulatory pegs 2. Micro-Sonar/Sodar emitting arrays, Handheld Sonars, Air-Coupled Acoustic Sensors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA512919
Entities
People
- Benjamin M. Hunt
- F. Noca
- Jin Xu
- M. E. Hoenk
- P. Koumoutsakos
- Wenjing Tang
Organizations
- University of Toronto