Application Cases

[Overview]

In this study, an Aigtek ATA-2022B high-voltage amplifier was used to build an experimental platform for a piezoelectric actuator. The basic performance of the actuator prototype was tested, and implantation experiments on a brain model were conducted to verify the effectiveness of the actuator in flexible-electrode implantation applications.

Experiment Name: Performance Testing of a Drive–Vibration Integrated Piezoelectric Actuator Prototype

Research Directions: Principle and modeling of the drive–vibration integrated piezoelectric actuator; structural design and optimization of the actuator; hardware implementation of drive signals; actuator performance testing and optimization; verification of vibration-assisted implantation applications.

Test Equipment: Lift-adjustable platform, host computer, ATA-2022B high-voltage amplifier, oscilloscope, digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) module, laser displacement sensor.

Experiment Procedure: A high-precision test system was first built, comprising an air-floating vibration-isolation optical table, MCU, DAC, power amplifier, oscilloscope, and laser displacement sensor, and a drive–vibration integrated piezoelectric actuator prototype was fabricated. No-load performance tests were conducted to investigate the relationships between drive voltage/frequency and step size/speed, as well as between vibration voltage/frequency and vibration amplitude. The minimum step length, stepping characteristics, and repeatability were measured, and the implantation speed was optimized by adjusting the recovery time of the piezoelectric stack. Then, using 0.6% agarose gel as a simulated brain model, implantation performance tests were carried out. The actuator performance under no-load and loaded conditions was compared, vibration voltage and frequency parameters were optimized, and secondary implantation tests were performed. Visual analysis and quantitative calculation were used to evaluate implantation-induced damage, comprehensively verifying the actuator performance and the effectiveness of vibration-assisted implantation.

Figure: Prototype test system

Experiment Results:

1. No-load performance tests showed a linear relationship between actuator step size and drive voltage, as well as between vibration amplitude and vibration voltage. The first-order resonance frequency was 80 Hz, the minimum step length reached 6.3 μm, and the repeatability error remained within a reasonable range. After shortening the piezoelectric stack recovery time, the implantation efficiency increased by 72.6%.

2. Loaded implantation tests showed that the actuator maintained stable motion in the 0.6% agarose gel simulated brain environment, with only a slight reduction in implantation speed compared with the no-load state, meeting actual implantation load requirements.

3. Vibration parameter optimization results indicated that when the vibration frequency was above 40 Hz and the voltage was in the range of 20–40 V, buckling failure of the flexible electrode during implantation could be effectively avoided, enabling smooth implantation.

4. Secondary implantation tests verified that the actuator could still achieve precise positioning after a glial encapsulation layer formed around the flexible electrode. Although the secondary implantation trajectory after 30 minutes of resting showed minor differences, it did not affect practical use.

5. Implantation damage evaluation showed that the damage area caused by flexible-electrode implantation was only 23% larger than the electrode’s own cross-sectional area, demonstrating the low-damage characteristics of vibration-assisted implantation.

Figure: Experiment results

Product Advantages of Aigtek Amplifiers in This Application:

1. Power amplification — Provides sufficient voltage and power to ensure accurate stepping and high-frequency vibration of the actuator.

2. Wide bandwidth and high slew rate — Precisely matches the high-frequency switching between stepping drive and vibration dual modes.

3. Four-quadrant output and low distortion — Ensures stable motion during implantation and provides reliable equipment operation for damage-evaluation experiments.

[Recommended Product]: ATA-2022B High-Voltage Amplifier

Figure: Specifications of the ATA-2022B High-Voltage Amplifier

The experimental materials in this article were compiled and published by Xi'an Aigtek Electronics. Aigtek has become an instrumentation supplier with a broad product portfolio and considerable scale in the industry; demonstration units are available with free trial support. Xi'an Aigtek Electronics is a high-tech enterprise specializing in the R&D, manufacturing, and sales of electronic test instruments including power amplifiers, high-voltage amplifiers, power signal sources, preamplifier/miniature signal amplifiers, high-precision voltage sources, and high-precision current sources.