Biomimetic Closed-Loop Control of a Novel Soft Gastric Simulator Toward Emulating Antral Contraction Waves

Area of Science:

• Biomimetics and Bioengineering
• Gastroenterology and Digestive System Research
• Control Systems and Robotics

Background:

• Soft gastric simulators are in vitro models replicating stomach antral contraction waves (ACWs).
• Traditional open-loop control systems limit simulator accuracy and adaptability to varying conditions.
• Closed-loop control is crucial for enhancing biomimetic simulators' performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a new generation of anatomically realistic soft pneumatic gastric simulators.
• To implement a real-time feedback system for diverse closed-loop controllers.
• To accurately imitate antral contraction waves (ACWs) for improved digestion studies.

Main Methods:

• Development of an anatomically realistic soft pneumatic gastric simulator representing the stomach antrum.
• Integration of a real-time feedback system and sensory mechanisms for closed-loop control.
• Design and application of three closed-loop controllers (model-based and model-free) to mimic ACWs.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication and assembly of the advanced soft gastric simulator.
• Demonstration of effective ACW imitation using implemented closed-loop control strategies.
• Experimental outcomes show close resemblance to biological antral contractions.

Conclusions:

• The developed soft gastric simulator with closed-loop control is a reliable tool for digestion research.
• This biomimetic system advances the study of the human stomach and digestive processes.
• The methodology can be applied to develop other bioinspired and biomimetic applications.