Reconfigurable lithographic structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9108314-B2
Application number	US-201414206585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2014
Priority date	Mar 6, 2008
Publication date	Aug 18, 2015
Grant date	Aug 18, 2015

Abstract

A lithographically structured device has an actuation layer and a control layer operatively connected to the actuation layer. The actuation layer includes a stress layer and a neutral layer that is constructed of materials and with a structure such that it stores torsional energy upon being constructed. The control layer is constructed to maintain the actuation layer substantially in a first configuration in a local environmental condition and is responsive to a change in the local environmental condition such that it permits a release of stored torsional energy to cause a change in a structural configuration of the lithographically structured device to a second configuration, the control layer thereby providing a trigger mechanism. The lithographically structured device has a maximum dimension that is less than about 10 mm when it is in the second configuration.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of encapsulating or gripping a sub-millimeter size object, comprising:
disposing a lithographically structured device proximate said sub-millimeter size object, said lithographically structured device having a first structural configuration;
storing torsional energy in said lithographically structured device in said first structural configuration; and
changing an environmental condition proximate said lithographically structured device to release said tor…

Assignees

• Univ Johns Hopkins

Inventors

• Gracias David H
• Leong Timothy G

Classifications

• B81B3/0024 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B81B3/0032

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B25J7/00 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B81C99/002

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B81B2201/031

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic