Design of a two degree-of-freedom, MRI-compatible actuator

A novel compact piezoworm actuator for the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) environment is presented which is capable of both linear and rotary motion. The actuator will be fabricated from beryllium copper for minimal image distortion. Complementary clamps are integrated to minimize the number of drive channels and to act as a brake in case of a malfunction. Analysis was employed to optimize the selection of the piezostacks and flexures depending on their functional requirements. The device is targeting a maximum speed of 5 mm/s, a force thrust of 9 N and 5 rpm of rotational speed.