Patent ID: 8208652
Filing Date: 2012-06-26
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. An acoustic reflective device comprising: a membrane; and a stressing device, where the stressing device is operatively attached to the membrane, where the stressing device increases a stress in the membrane in response to an input, and where the increase in the stress changes an acoustic reflectivity of the membrane, where the stressing device includes: an electroactive polymer element; a first electrode; and a second electrode, where the first electrode contacts a first side of the electroactive polymer element, and the second electrode contacts a second side of the electroactive polymer element, where the input is an electric potential difference applied between the first and second electrodes, where when the electric potential difference is applied between the first and second electrodes a strain of the electroactive polymer element increases on the first side, where the first side is operatively attached to the membrane and as the strain increases on the first side the membrane is stressed.