Category: Technology

July 31, 2020· Arne Bramigk· Markus Wiederspahn

The Solar Orbiter space probe begun its journey in February 2020. Also on board: A tip/tilt unit from PI for the secondary mirror of one of the central experiments, the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI).

July 01, 2020· Dr. Annemarie Oesterle

In the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, modern vaccination technologies are gaining importance as they promise to protect the world population from future pandemics. Vaccine patches are one of these next generation applications and piezo components or actuators can be used to precisely dispense tiniest droplets on the microneedles.

June 17, 2020· Dr. Annemarie Oesterle

Viruses and other infections particularly affect people with pre-existing conditions such as renal or cardiovascular diseases. In regard to the treatment and therapy of such illnesses, the demands on the medical devices used are ever increasing. Piezo technology offers various possibilities to improve them: Using piezo transducers, for example, makes intensive care devices such as infusion systems smarter and facilitates vital patient monitoring.

May 20, 2020· Dr. Annemarie Oesterle

Chronic respiratory diseases like mucoviscidosis, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but also bronchitis, influenza and lung diseases related to COVID-19 require extensive medical treatment. Medical ventilators and nebulizers have a significant part in improving patients’ clinical condition and treating their illnesses. Piezo-driven devices offer high precision and efficiency as well as hygienic advantages.

May 06, 2020· Doris Knauer

The integration of a barrier-free safety concept into the control circuit of the hexapod, e.g. of a PILZ safety light curtain, ensures finger, hand, and body protection depending on the required safety level.

April 30, 2020· Dr. Thomas Bocher· Markus Wiederspahn

The Sequencing-by-Synthesis method, also known as Solexa-Illumina-method, is the most widespread method among all Next-Generation-Sequencing methods (NGS). It was used to identify the RNA fingerprint of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in January 2020 in a research institute in Wuhan. Since then, this RNA fingerprint measurement has frequently been repeated in research institutes all over the world. And today this NGS method is used worldwide day-by-day to continuously monitor the SARS-CoV-2 virus for mutations. Sub-systems for motion and positioning of imaging optics and flow cells play a decisive role in this method.

April 17, 2020· Dr. Annemarie Oesterle

In vitro diagnostics (IVD) opens up numerous possibilities for early diagnosis and detection of diseases. The requirements for fluid handling in IVD devices are extremely demanding: very small quantities of fluids with different properties must be dosed or moved with high precision. Piezoelectric components and actuators perform these tasks.

September 26, 2019

ピーアイ（PI）社では主力製品として、自社開発のピエゾ素子を使用したピエゾアクチュエーター（PICMA®）、自社設計によるピエゾステージ（リニアステージ・回転ステージ・多軸ステージなど）を販売しています。これと同時にそれらピエゾ素子を駆動、制御するためのアンプやコントローラも設計・販売しています。ピーアイ社ではピエゾ素子の特性やお客様の目的に応じ①アナログコントローラ、②デジタルコントローラの２種類のコントローラを用意しています。 まず、この２種類のコントローラの特徴について説明させて頂く上で、より深くご理解いただくために、ピエゾ素子の特徴について簡単に説明させて頂きます。 ピエゾ素子は電圧を印加することで、素子内の分子の分極化により素子の長さが変化します。つまり、印加する電圧の強さによって、素子の伸び量を制御することが出来ます。この変化は極僅かな電圧の変化にも反応するため、理論的にはナノメートル以下の伸び量を制御することが可能です。但し、ピエゾ素子の伸び量を制御する上で理解しておいた方が良い２つの物理的な特徴（ヒステリシスとクリーピング）があります。

June 20, 2018· Stefan Vorndran

New Tools for Design Engineers of Optics and Precision Mechanical Systems Piezo stack actuators have been used in applications such as photonics alignment, positioning, force generation, and fast valve actuation for several decades. They provide high dynamics, but can also be used for quasi-static applications due to their high-stiffness and stability.