When you fill out the forms for an MRI the questions they ask about exposure to metal seem ridiculous. "Have you ever worked in an environment where metal filings were generated?" (who hasn't). But in the kilagauss environment of the machine those particles become projectiles and can cause serious damage. So, having even the smallest magnetic motor in a drug delivery system is a dangerous proposition. But being able to precisely control drug delivery using a motorized pump is becoming increasingly important for treatments like chemotherapy, where an MRI can help monitor effectiveness.
To make all this possible, Biophan Technologies has developed a piezoelectric ceramic motor which allows for precise, computer controlled metering of drugs or other precision operations without the use of a magnetic field. Additionally, the motor requires only 4 major parts, as opposed to the hundreds in a standard motor, so reliability is high, with fewer parts to fail, and the devices can easily be miniaturized. The motor operates on a principle similar to the ultrasonic ring motors Canon uses for their super quiet autofocus lenses. Take a look at a movie of the motor in operation.
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