• Transactions of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.36-41
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• 2009

This paper presents the development of a micro punching system with modified cymbal mechanism. To realize the micro punching, we introduced the hybrid system with a macro moving part and micro punching part. The macro moving part consists of a ball screw, a linear guide and the micro step motor and micro punching part includes the PZT actuators and displacement amplification device with modified cymbal mechanism. The PZT actuator is capable of producing very large force, but they provide only limited displacements which are several micro meters. Thus the displacement amplification device is necessary to make those actuators more efficient and useful. For this purpose, a cymbal mechanism in series is proposed. The finite element method was used to design the cymbal mechanism and to analyze the mode shape of the one. The displacement and mode shape error between the FEM results and experiments are within 10%. A considerable design effort has been focused on optimizing the flexure hinge to increase the output displacement and punching force.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1-9
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• 2021

In this study, a new design of an extension-type actuator (ExACT) is proposed based on a chevron structure with displacement amplification mechanisms by local heating. ExACT comprises diamond-shaped displacement amplification structures (DASs) containing axially oriented V-shaped chevron beams, a support bar that restricts lateral heat deformation, and a loading slot for thin-film heaters. On heating the thin film heater, the diamond-shaped DASs undergo thermal expansion. However, lateral expansion is restricted by the support bar, leading to displacement amplification in the axial direction. The performance parameters of ExACT such as temperature distribution and extended displacement is calculated using thermo-mechanical analysis methods with the finite element method (FEM) tool. Subsequently, the ExACTs are fabricated using a polymer-based 3D printer capable of reproducing complex structures, and the performance of ExACTs is evaluated under various temperature conditions. Finally, the performance evaluation results were compared with those of the FEM analysis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.789-790
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• 2010

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-3
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• 2009

Mitotic spindle mediates the segregation of chromosomes in the cell cycle and the proper function of the spindle is crucial to the high fidelity of chromosome segregation and to the stability of the genome. Nucleation of microtubules (MTs) from centrosomes and chromatin represents two well-characterized pathways essential for the assembly of a dynamic spindle in mitosis. Recently, we identified a third MT nucleation pathway, in which existing MTs in the spindle act as a template to promote the nucleation and polymerization of MTs, thereby efficiently amplifying MTs in the spindle. We will review here our current understanding on the molecular mechanism, the physiological function and the cell-cycle regulation of MT amplification.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.881-886
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• 2009

This paper presents a manipulation system consisting of a coarse/fine XY positioning system and an out-of-plane manipulator. The object of the system is to conduct tine positioning and manipulation of micro parts. The fine stage and the out-of-plane manipulator have compliant mechanisms with flexure hinges, which are driven by stack-type piezoelectric elements. In the fine stage, the compliant mechanism plays the roles of motion guide and displacement amplification. The out-of-plane manipulator contains three piezo-driven compliant mechanisms for large working range and fine resolution. For large displacement, the compliant mechanism is implemented by a two-step displacement amplification mechanism. The compliant mechanisms are manufactured by wire electro-discharge machining for flexure hinges. Experiments demonstrate that the developed system is applicable to a fine positioning and fine manipulation of micro parts.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.82 no.4
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• pp.503-515
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• 2022

The multi-rigid-body matrix method (MRBMM) is a generalized modeling method for obtaining the displacements, forces, and dynamic characteristics of a compliant mechanism without performing inner-force analysis. The method discretizes a compliant mechanism of any type into flexure hinges and rigid bodies by implementing a multi-body mass-spring model using coordinate transformations in a matrix form. However, in this method, the deformations of bodies that are assumed to be rigid are inherently omitted. Consequently, it may yield erroneous results in certain mechanisms. In this paper, we present a multi-compliant-body matrix-method (MCBMM) that considers a rigid body as a compliant element, while retaining the generalized framework of the MRBMM. In the MCBMM, a rigid body in the MRBMM is segmented into a certain number of body nodes and flexure hinges. The proposed method was verified using two examples: the first (an XY positioning stage) demonstrated that the MCBMM outperforms the MRBMM in estimating the static deformation and dynamic mode. In the second example (a bridge-type displacement amplification mechanism), the MCBMM estimated the displacement amplification ratio more accurately than several previously proposed modeling methods.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.557-585
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• 2013

The recent huge earthquake ground motion records in Japan result in the reconsideration of seismic design forces for nuclear power stations from the view point of seismological research. In addition, the seismic design force should be defined also from the view point of structural engineering. In this paper it is shown that one of the occurrence mechanisms of such large acceleration in recent seismic records (recorded in or near massive structures and not free-field ground motions) is due to the interaction between a massive building and its surrounding soil which induces amplification of local mode in the surface soil. Furthermore on-site investigation after earthquakes in the nuclear power stations reveals some damages of soil around the building (cracks, settlement and sand boiling). The influence of plastic behavior of soil is investigated in the context of interaction between the structure and the surrounding soil. Moreover the amplification property of the surface soil is investigated from the seismic records of the Suruga-gulf earthquake in 2009 and the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake in 2011. Two methods are introduced for the analysis of the non-stationary process of ground motions. It is shown that the non-stationary Fourier spectra can detect the temporal change of frequency contents of ground motions and the displacement profile integrated from its acceleration profile is useful to evaluate the seismic behavior of the building and the surrounding soil.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.405-408
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• 2007

Vestibular hair cells, the sensory receptors of vestibular organs, selectively amplify miniscule stimuli to attain high sensitivity. Such selective amplification results in compressive nonlinear sensitivity, which plays an important role in expanding dynamic range while ensuring robustness of the system. In this study, negative stiffness mechanism, a mechanism responsible for the selective amplification by vestibular hair cells, is applied to a simple mechanical system consisting of an array of inverted pendulums. The structure and working principle of the system have been inspired by gating spring hypothesis proposing that opening and closing of transduction channels contributes to the global stiffness of vestibular hair bundle. Parameter study was carried out to analyze the effect of each parameter on the compressive nonlinearity of suggested model.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7997-8002
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• 2015

Gene amplification is an important mechanism in the development and progression of cancer. Currently, gene amplification status is generally determined by in situ hybridization (ISH). Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) is a PCR-based method that allows copy number detection of up to 50 nucleic acid sequences in one reaction. The aim of the present study was to compare results for HER2, CCND1, MYC and ESR1 gene amplification detected by MLPA with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) as clinically approved methods. Tissue samples of 170 invasive breast cancers were collected. All were ER positive. Tissue samples had previously been tested for HER2 using immunohistochemistry. Amplification of the selected genes were assessed using MLPA, FISH and CISH and results were compared. HER2 MLPA and ISH results were also compared with HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) which detects protein overexpression. Amplification of HER2, CCND1, MYC and ESR1 by MLPA were found in 9%, 19%, 20% and 2% of samples, respectively. Amplification of HER2, CCND1, MYC and ESR1 by FISH was noted in 7%, 16%, 16% and 1% of samples, respectively. A high level of concordance was found between MLPA/FISH (HER2: 88%, CCND1: 88%, MYC: 86%, ESR1: 92%) and MLPA/CISH (HER2: 84%). Of all IHC 3+ cases, 91% were amplified by MLPA. In IHC 2+ group, 31% were MLPA amplified. In IHC 1+ group, 2% were MLPA amplified. None of the IHC 0 cases were amplified by MLPA. Our results indicate that there is a good correlation between MLPA, IHC and ISH results. Therefore, MLPA can serve as an alternative to ISH for detection of gene amplification.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.28-35
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• 2020

In this paper, we present a design for a retraction-type actuator (ReACT) that has the characteristics of both thermomechanical metamaterials and displacement amplification mechanisms. The ReACT consists of an actuating bar, a diamond-shaped displacement amplification (DA) structure, and a slot for loading thin-film heaters formed through the actuating bar. When power is supplied to the thin film heater, the actuating bars contacting the heater thermally expand, and the diamond-shaped DA structures retract in the longitudinal direction. The performance characteristics of the ReACT, such as temperature distribution and retracting displacement, were calculated with thermomechanical analysis methods using the finite element method (FEM). Subsequently, the ReACTs were fabricated using a polymer-based 3D printer that can easily execute complex structures, and the performance of the ReACT was evaluated through repeated tests under various temperature conditions. The results of the performance evaluation were compared with the results of the FEM analysis.