Electro-active polymers give hope for new medical devices

Swedish firm Micromuscle is participating in the Finnish Elcomp research project, which will develop electro-active polymer (EAP) based nanocomposite materials and actuators. The E1.1m project will also develop commercial applications in areas including medical technology, robotics and consumer products. The collaborative project is being led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. It is funded by the Finnish National Technology Agency, Tekes. Micromuscle said it would provide expertise and guidance on EAP materials and actuators, especially within medical applications. “Micromuscle will not perform any own R&D during the project but we expect the findings from the project to be useful for us,” said chief technology officer Edwin Jager. “The possible improvements in EAP performance will give us possibilities for new and more advanced medical products.”