Carmela De Marco


Last Name

De Marco

First Name

Carmela

ORCID

0000-0001-6478-3508

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2019 - 201922020 - 20222
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Publications 1 - 4 of 4
  • Indirect 3D and 4D Printing of Soft Robotic Microstructures
    Item type: Journal Article
    De Marco, Carmela; Alcantara, Carlos; Kim, Sangwon; et al. (2019)
    Advanced Materials and Technologies
  • MOFBOTS: Metal–Organic‐Framework‐Based Biomedical Microrobots
    Item type: Journal Article
    Wang, Xiaopu; Chen, Xiang-Zhong; Alcântara, Carlos C.J.; et al. (2019)
    Advanced Materials
  • Thermoset Shape Memory Polymer Variable Stiffness 4D Robotic Catheters
    Item type: Journal Article
    Mattmann, Michael; De Marco, Carmela; Briatico, Francesco; et al. (2022)
    Advanced Science
    Variable stiffness catheters are typically composed of an encapsulated core. The core is usually composed of a low melting point alloy (LMPA) or a thermoplastic polymer (TP). In both cases, there is a need to encapsulate the core with an elastic material. This imposes a limit to the volume of variable stiffness (VS) material and limits miniaturization. This paper proposes a new approach that relies on the use of thermosetting materials. The variable stiffness catheter (VSC) proposed in this work eliminates the necessity for an encapsulation layer and is made of a unique biocompatible thermoset polymer with an embedded heating system. This significantly reduces the final diameter, improves manufacturability, and increases safety in the event of complications. The device can be scaled to sub-millimeter dimensions, while maintaining a high stiffness change. In addition, integration into a magnetic actuation system allows for precise actuation of one or multiple tools.
  • Magnetic cilia carpets with programmable metachronal waves
    Item type: Journal Article
    Gu, Hongri; Boehler, Quentin; Cui, Haoyang; et al. (2020)
    Nature Communications
    Metachronal waves commonly exist in natural cilia carpets. These emergent phenomena, which originate from phase differences between neighbouring self-beating cilia, are essential for biological transport processes including locomotion, liquid pumping, feeding, and cell delivery. However, studies of such complex active systems are limited, particularly from the experimental side. Here we report magnetically actuated, soft, artificial cilia carpets. By stretching and folding onto curved templates, programmable magnetization patterns can be encoded into artificial cilia carpets, which exhibit metachronal waves in dynamic magnetic fields. We have tested both the transport capabilities in a fluid environment and the locomotion capabilities on a solid surface. This robotic system provides a highly customizable experimental platform that not only assists in understanding fundamental rules of natural cilia carpets, but also paves a path to cilia-inspired soft robots for future biomedical applications.
Publications 1 - 4 of 4