Propeller and method in which a propeller is set into motion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12115693-B2
Application number	US-202217956430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2022
Priority date	Apr 12, 2017
Publication date	Oct 15, 2024
Grant date	Oct 15, 2024

Abstract

A method where a propeller is set into locomotion relative to a medium at least partially surrounding the propeller. An actuator induces a rotation of the propeller relative to the medium and about a rotational axis of the propeller, and the propeller converts its rotational movement into locomotion relative to the medium. The aspect ratio of at least one cross-section of the propeller is three or more. Also a helical or modifiedly helical propeller for converting rotational movement of the propeller into locomotion of the propeller relative to a medium at least partially surrounding the propeller, where the aspect ratio of at least one cross section of the propeller is three or more. And a method of producing a propeller, including the step of providing a plate extending along the helical axis, where the aspect ratio of at least one cross section of the plate is three or more.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method in which a propeller is set into locomotion relative to a medium in a human body which at least partially surrounds the propeller, wherein an actuator induces a rotation of the propeller relative to the medium and about a rotational axis of the propeller, and wherein the propeller converts its rotational movement into locomotion of the propeller relative to the medium, wherein an aspect ratio of at least one cross section of the propeller, which cross section is a cross section related to the propeller's rotational axis, is 3 or more, and on at least one cross section, a rotational center is inside the cross section of the propeller.

2. A method in which a propeller is set into locomotion relative to a medium in a human body which at least partially surrounds the propeller, wherein an actuator induces a rotation of the propeller relative to the medium and about a rotational axis of the propeller, and wherein the propeller converts its rotational movement into locomotion of the propeller relative to the medium, wherein an aspect ratio of at least one cross section of the rotating body that comprises the propeller and the parts of the medium that due to the rotation the propeller have been severed from the remainder of the medium and rotate with the propeller, which cross section is a cross section related to the rotating body's rotational axis, is 3 or more, and on at least one cross section, a rotational center is inside the cross section of the propeller.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the propeller is chiral or generalized chiral.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the propeller is helical or modifiedly helical.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the front end of the propeller has a forward taper.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the propeller is untethered.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the actuator induces the rotation of the propeller is a magnetic field.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medium comprises at least one of: a viscoelastic fluid, a viscoelastic solid, or a biological tissue.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotation of the propeller induces a strain in the medium, whereby the strain causes a change in the medium's elastic energy, which in turn causes the translation of said propeller.

Assignees

• Max Planck Gesellschaft

Inventors

• Qiu Tian
• Fischer Peer

Classifications

• A61B2017/00345

  Micromachines, nanomachines, microsystems · CPC title

• A61B17/320758

  with a rotating cutting instrument, e.g. motor driven (A61B17/320725, A61B17/32075 and A61B17/320783 take precedence; for removing intra-ocular material A61F9/00763; endoscopic rotatable cutting instruments A61B17/32002) · CPC title

• A61B2034/303

  specifically adapted for manipulations within body lumens, e.g. within lumen of gut, spine, or blood vessels · CPC title

• A61B17/00 Primary

  Surgical instruments, devices or methods (A61B18/00 takes precedence; dental tools A61C3/00; eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/20) · CPC title

• B26D2001/0073

  having the form of a three dimensional spiral · CPC title