Multifunctional underwater sensing fiber-optic bionic nerve hillock cell receptor and preparation method thereof

By designing a multifunctional fiber-optic biomimetic neural mound cell receptor, and utilizing optical signal interference and deformation caused by mechanical stimulation, the problems of large size, poor biocompatibility, and poor directionality of existing underwater detection devices have been solved. This results in high sensitivity, multi-parameter measurement, and good biocompatibility, making it suitable for underwater resource exploration and national defense applications.

CN116412845BActive Publication Date: 2026-06-09HUAZHONG UNIV OF SCI & TECH

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
HUAZHONG UNIV OF SCI & TECH
Filing Date
2023-02-16
Publication Date
2026-06-09

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing underwater detection devices are bulky, have poor biocompatibility, poor directionality, low integration, limited functionality, low sensitivity of sensors, are difficult to operate in electromagnetic interference environments, and cannot achieve multi-parameter measurement.

Method used

A multifunctional fiber-optic biomimetic neural mound cell receptor is designed, including biomimetic nerve fibers, reflective surfaces, biomimetic supporting cells, biomimetic sensory hair cells, and biomimetic gel caps. It uses optical signal interference and deformation caused by mechanical stimulation to sense the underwater environment. The signal is transmitted through optical fiber and the intensity and wavelength of the interference signal are demodulated to obtain the magnitude and direction of the mechanical stimulation.

Benefits of technology

It achieves electromagnetic interference resistance, high sensitivity, good directionality, good biocompatibility, small size, and light weight. It can perform multi-parameter measurements, is suitable for detection in complex underwater environments, and has multi-functional sensing capabilities.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The application discloses a multifunctional underwater sensing fiber bionic nerve hillock cell receptor and a preparation method, and belongs to the field of bionic artificial receptors. The bionic nerve hillock cell receptor comprises a bionic nerve fiber, a first reflecting surface, a bionic supporting cell, a second reflecting surface, a bionic sensory hair cell and a bionic gel cap. The bionic nerve fiber is used for transmitting input light signals and output light signals. The bionic supporting cell is used for supporting the bionic sensory hair cell and the bionic gel cap, and forms a Fabry-Perot cavity together with the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface. The bionic sensory hair cell comprises one moving cilium and a plurality of non-moving cilia. The bionic gel cap contains bionic gel material, has viscous resistance and friction, and is used for wrapping the bionic sensory hair cell. The application solves the problems of poor biocompatibility, large volume, poor directivity and single function of the bionic receptor in the prior art.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of bionic artificial sensors, and more specifically, relates to a multifunctional underwater sensing fiber optic bionic neural thalamic cell sensor and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Fish swim underwater without colliding with each other thanks to their sophisticated lateral line sensory system. This system consists of an array of hair cells called thalamus, tiny sensors distributed throughout the fish's body, both on the surface and embedded in canals beneath the epidermis. These sensors are used for setting bait, avoiding predators, navigating shallow waters, and for water-based communication between fish.

[0003] The neural thalamus is composed of hair cells, supporting cells, and mantle cells. The tips of all hair cells in each neural thalamus extend into a transparent gelatinous dome. When a signal of change in the external environment is received, the gelatinous dome deflects to a certain amplitude, gradually transmitting the signal to the kinetocilia and stenocilia, where it deflects again and triggers ions to cross the hair cell membrane, stimulating an excitatory response. This highly sensitive and accurate feedback system is crucial for underwater sensing and deep-sea exploration, as it senses the fluid field and mechanical vibrations generated by the wake eddies of pressure sources or objects with altered flow velocity, and responds rapidly to predation or evasion.

[0004] Existing novel underwater detection and sensing technologies are mostly based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, using miniature hydrophones and current meters. These technologies combine piezoresistive, piezoelectric, and capacitive principles. For example, the piezoelectric effect, where pressure induces charge movement, mimics the closure of ion channels in cells. The minute strain of the microstructure can capture very small changes in flow velocity and sound field in the external physical environment. However, piezoelectric sensors are expensive, susceptible to interference from factors such as power frequency, and difficult to measure static pressure, thus limiting their versatility. Piezoresistive sensors, due to limitations in manufacturing processes and structure, generally have low sensitivity, resulting in unsatisfactory detection results. Furthermore, their application requires attaching strain gauges to certain structures, making their performance susceptible to interference from adhesive properties.

[0005] The aforementioned electrical underwater detection sensors are difficult to operate in electromagnetic interference environments, have poor biocompatibility, are limited by their large size, and are mostly point-based measurements, unable to distinguish directionality. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a multifunctional, multi-parameter miniaturized monitoring system that is resistant to electromagnetic interference, highly sensitive, has good directionality, good biocompatibility, small size, light weight, and strong adaptability, capable of meeting the detection needs of complex underwater environments, and can be integrated with artificial sideline systems, biomimetic robotic fish, and even existing underwater organisms, laying the foundation for underwater resource exploration and national defense applications. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a multifunctional underwater sensing fiber optic biomimetic neural mound cell receptor, which aims to solve the problems of existing underwater detection devices such as large size, poor biocompatibility, poor directionality, low integration, single function, and low sensitivity of the sensing device.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the first aspect of the present invention provides a multifunctional underwater sensing fiber optic bionic neural mound cell receptor, comprising a bionic nerve fiber, a first reflective surface, a bionic supporting cell, a second reflective surface, a bionic sensory hair cell, and a bionic gel cap.

[0008] The biomimetic nerve fiber is used for the transmission of input and output optical signals and is made of ordinary single-mode optical fiber.

[0009] The first and second reflective surfaces are high-reflectivity thin films with a reflectivity greater than 50% in the C-band.

[0010] The biomimetic supporting cells are used to support the biomimetic sensory hair cells and the biomimetic gel cap, and together with the first and second reflective surfaces, they form a Fabry-Perot cavity.

[0011] The biomimetic sensory hair cell includes a thick, long, motile cilia and several thin, short, immobile cilia.

[0012] The biomimetic gel cap contains a biomimetic gel substance that has viscous resistance and friction, and is used to encapsulate biomimetic sensory hair cells.

[0013] Preferably, the movable cilia are located at the center of the first reflective surface, and the surrounding area is covered with clusters of immobile cilia, and the height of the immobile cilia has a different height decrease gradient in each direction.

[0014] Preferably, the biomimetic support cell includes a support body and a sealing ring. The support body is a hollow cylindrical structure, and circular holes are distributed around the outer ring on the upper surface of the cylinder. The sealing ring is a circular ring structure, and its size can cover the cylindrical holes of the support body. Both the support body and the sealing ring are made of photoresist material.

[0015] Preferably, the input light is transmitted to the first reflecting surface via bionic nerve fibers. Part of the light signal is reflected and transmitted to the light signal processing terminal via the bionic nerve fibers, while the other part of the light is transmitted through the first reflecting surface, transmitted to the second reflecting surface via the bionic supporting cells, and reflected back to the light signal terminal. The reflected light signals from the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface interfere with each other. The interference surfaces are the first and second reflecting surfaces, and the interference cavity is the bionic supporting cells.

[0016] Preferably, the biomimetic gel cap is used to receive underwater mechanical stimulation signals (including sound waves, water disturbances, etc.). The gel material inside the biomimetic gel cap generates viscous resistance and friction under mechanical stimulation, further transmitting the mechanical stimulation to the sensory hair cells. The motile and immobile cilia tufts are deflected under mechanical stimulation, and mechanical stimulation of different directions and sizes will cause different degrees of deflection, further causing the biomimetic supporting cells to deform and change their refractive index under the photoelastic effect, thereby changing the optical path of the light signal inside the biomimetic supporting cells. By demodulating the intensity and wavelength of the interference signal, the magnitude and direction of the underwater mechanical stimulation can be obtained.

[0017] Preferably, the higher the height, the smaller the diameter, the smaller the Young's modulus, and the greater the degree of deflection under external mechanical stimulation of the movable and immovable cilia, the greater the deformation of the bionic supporting cells, thus resulting in higher sensitivity and a smaller sensing range. Conversely, the smaller the height, the larger the diameter, and the greater the Young's modulus of the cilia, the lower the sensing sensitivity and the larger the sensing range. The bionic sensory hair cells have the characteristics of adjustable sensitivity and adjustable measurement range. The bionic neural thalamic cell receptors can be flexibly designed with sensing sensitivity and sensing range according to measurement needs. Receptors with different sensitivities and sensing ranges can be arrayed and assembled according to different measurement targets to form a multifunctional sensing system.

[0018] Furthermore, the gel material inside the biomimetic gel cap has a Young's modulus of approximately 10 Pa to 100 Pa, is a hydrophilic material, possesses a cross-linked porous structure, has high mechanical strength, and a density similar to that of water.

[0019] A second aspect of this invention provides a method for fabricating a multifunctional underwater sensing fiber optic biomimetic neural thalamic cell receptor, comprising the following steps:

[0020] S1. Flatten the end face of the single-mode fiber and rinse it with deionized water;

[0021] S2. A high-reflectivity thin film is deposited on the end face of the optical fiber by vacuum evaporation or magnetron sputtering as the first reflective surface;

[0022] S3. Fix the optical fiber with an optical fiber clamp and apply an appropriate amount of photoresist to the end face of the coated optical fiber.

[0023] S4. Preheat the entire structure in a 90℃ incubator for 2 hours. Place the heated structure on the pressure station of the laser processing system and adjust the pressure station to focus the laser at the predetermined position;

[0024] S5. The laser focus is first focused on the lower middle part of the photoresist. The pressure station moves according to the preset program, and the laser scans the support structure inside the photoresist point by point.

[0025] S6. After laser treatment, the sample was placed in a 90℃ incubator for 2 hours and then heated. Finally, the sample was immersed in acetone solution for 2 minutes for development to show the structure of the treated support.

[0026] S7. Repeat steps S4-S6 to process the sealing ring structure on the support structure using the same steps.

[0027] S8. A high-reflectivity thin film is deposited on the supporting cells by vacuum evaporation or magnetron sputtering as a second reflective surface;

[0028] S9. Repeat steps S4-S6 on the second reflective surface to process the biomimetic sensory hair cell structure on the second reflective surface in the same way.

[0029] S10, Bionic gel material is dropped onto bionic sensory hair cells and fully encapsulates the hair cell structure.

[0030] Furthermore, the first and second reflective surfaces are dielectric films or high-reflectivity thin films such as ITO with a thickness of less than 100 nm. The reflective surface material is easy to bond with photoresist, which facilitates photoresist molding. The photoresist has the characteristics of high elasticity and high flexibility, and is non-toxic. Its Young's modulus is less than 20 MPa, and it can be IP-PDMS.

[0031] Furthermore, the processing system uses a near-infrared femtosecond laser for forming. Near-infrared femtosecond lasers have extremely high transmittance to most materials and can act within the material itself. Therefore, femtosecond laser forming does not suffer from oxygen inhibition, requires no vacuum or special gas atmosphere, and can be performed in an atmospheric environment at room temperature. Moreover, because the polymerization reaction only occurs in a very small area near the laser focus, very high spatial resolution can be achieved. A Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser oscillator can be used. The laser beam is first collimated to match the beam diameter with the objective lens aperture. Its center wavelength is 780 nm, pulse width is 120 fs, and repetition rate is 80 MHz. The objective lens used in the processing is an oil immersion objective lens with a magnification of 60 and a numerical aperture (NA) of 1.4.

[0032] Furthermore, the annular hole of the support structure is used to allow the developer to flow out, and the photoresist needs to be cured as soon as possible during the processing of the sealing ring. That is, the liquid photoresist used for forming the sealing ring cannot flow into the support through the circular hole, ensuring that the support structure is a hollow structure.

[0033] Furthermore, the sensors can be expanded into an array arrangement to achieve the measurement of multiple parameters, including sound waves, flow velocity, pressure, temperature, and water disturbance.

[0034] Compared with the prior art, the above technical solutions conceived in this invention can achieve the following results:

[0035] Beneficial effects:

[0036] 1. The biomimetic sensory hair cells of this invention possess the characteristic of direction recognition. The height of the immobile cilia has a different height descent gradient in each direction. The movable and immobile cilia tufts are deflected under mechanical stimulation, and mechanical stimulation of different directions and magnitudes will lead to different degrees of deflection. This further causes the biomimetic supporting cells to deform and change their refractive index under the photoelastic effect, thereby changing the optical path of the light signal in the biomimetic supporting cells. By demodulating the intensity and wavelength of the interference signal, the magnitude and direction of the underwater mechanical stimulation can be obtained, enabling the fiber optic biomimetic neural tuft cell receptor to sense mechanical stimulation of different directions and magnitudes, thus solving the problem of poor directionality in traditional underwater detection devices.

[0037] 2. The bionic sensory hair cells of this invention have the characteristics of adjustable sensitivity and adjustable measurement range. The higher the height of the cilia, the smaller the diameter, and the smaller the Young's modulus, the higher the sensitivity. Therefore, the bionic neural thalamic cell receptor can flexibly design the sensing sensitivity and sensing range according to the measurement requirements. Receptors with different sensitivities and sensing ranges can be arrayed and assembled according to different measurement targets to form a multifunctional sensing system.

[0038] 3. The biomimetic nerve fiber of the present invention inherently possesses characteristics such as small structure, high flexibility, fast response, good biocompatibility, large transmission bandwidth, and reusability. The single-mode optical fiber transmits optical signals including light intensity, phase, wavelength, and polarization signals, and has diverse modulation and demodulation capabilities to realize multi-degree-of-freedom sensing systems. It is also easy to network. The biomimetic nerve fiber can be directly connected to existing communication optical cables, submarine cables, etc. to transmit signals using single-mode optical fiber.

[0039] 4. In addition to protecting the sensory hair cells, the biomimetic gel cap structure of the present invention also has the function of enhancing the sensitivity of transmitting deformation and can effectively filter out noise. The biomimetic gel cap increases the contact area between the sensory hair cells and the fluid, and drives the cilia to deflect by frictional resistance and viscous resistance, thereby increasing the sensing sensitivity and filtering out low-frequency noise.

[0040] 5. This invention utilizes two-photon polymerization molding technology to process micro- and nano-sized biomimetic neural thalamic cell structures on the end face of optical fibers to achieve the measurement of multiple parameters such as sound waves, flow velocity, pressure, temperature, and water disturbance. The fiber optic biomimetic neural thalamic cell receptor, with its excellent biocompatibility and micron-sized dimensions, can be attached to underwater organisms to achieve underwater detection, and has the characteristics of multifunctionality, omnidirectionality, and high integration.

[0041] 6. The biomimetic sensory hair cells designed in this invention have a diameter of less than or equal to 125 μm and a height of less than 1 mm. The highly integrated size and good biocompatibility allow them to be directly applied to underwater organisms, enabling full-range underwater detection using underwater organisms as carriers.

[0042] 7. This invention mimics the neural structure and function of fish, enabling biomimetic operations. It possesses advantages such as resistance to electromagnetic interference, high flexibility, strong concealment, and good mobility, playing an important role in underwater environmental operations, military reconnaissance, underwater rescue, marine life observation, and archaeology.

[0043] 8. The materials of the device described in this invention are easy to obtain, the entire device is easy to implement, the cost is low, the operation is reliable, the preparation method of the device is highly repeatable, and mass production can be achieved. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the fiber optic biomimetic neural thalamic cell receptor provided by the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2 This is a connection diagram of the fiber optic biomimetic neural thalamic cell receptor and optical transceiver system provided by the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 This is a structural design diagram of the biomimetic support cell provided by the present invention;

[0047] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the testing principle of the fiber optic biomimetic neural mound cell receptor provided by this invention;

[0048] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the fabrication process of the fiber optic biomimetic neural mound cell receptor provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0049] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0050] This invention provides a multifunctional underwater sensing fiber optic bionic neural mound cell receptor, comprising a bionic nerve fiber, a first reflective surface, a bionic supporting cell, a second reflective surface, a bionic sensory hair cell, and a bionic gel cap.

[0051] The biomimetic nerve fiber is used for the transmission of input and output optical signals and is made of ordinary single-mode optical fiber.

[0052] The first and second reflective surfaces are high-reflectivity thin films with a reflectivity greater than 50% in the C-band.

[0053] The biomimetic supporting cells are used to support the biomimetic sensory hair cells and the biomimetic gel cap, and together with the first and second reflective surfaces, they form a Fabry-Perot cavity.

[0054] The biomimetic sensory hair cell includes a thick, long, motile cilia and several thin, short, immobile cilia.

[0055] The biomimetic gel cap contains a biomimetic gel substance that has viscous resistance and friction, and is used to encapsulate biomimetic sensory hair cells.

[0056] Specifically, the movable cilia are located in the center of the first reflective surface, and the surrounding area is covered with clusters of immobile cilia, and the height of the immobile cilia has a different height decrease gradient in each direction.

[0057] Specifically, the biomimetic support cell includes a support body and a sealing ring. The support body is a hollow cylindrical structure, and circular holes are distributed around the outer ring on the upper surface of the cylinder. The sealing ring is a circular ring structure, and its size can cover the cylindrical holes of the support body. Both the support body and the sealing ring are made of photoresist material.

[0058] Specifically, the input light is transmitted to the first reflecting surface via bionic nerve fibers. Part of the light signal is reflected and transmitted to the light signal processing terminal via the bionic nerve fibers. The other part of the light is transmitted through the first reflecting surface, transmitted to the second reflecting surface via the bionic supporting cells, and reflected back to the light signal terminal. The reflected light signals from the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface interfere with each other. The interference surfaces are the first and second reflecting surfaces, and the interference cavity is the bionic supporting cells.

[0059] Specifically, the biomimetic gel cap is used to receive underwater mechanical stimulation signals, including sound waves, water disturbances, etc. The gel material inside the biomimetic gel cap generates viscous resistance and friction under mechanical stimulation, further transmitting the mechanical stimulation to the sensory hair cells. The motile and immobile cilia tufts are deflected under mechanical stimulation, and mechanical stimulation of different directions and sizes will cause different degrees of deflection, which further causes the biomimetic supporting cells to deform and change their refractive index under the photoelastic effect, thereby changing the optical path of the light signal in the biomimetic supporting cells. By demodulating the intensity and wavelength of the interference signal, the magnitude and direction of the underwater mechanical stimulation can be obtained.

[0060] Specifically, the higher the height, the smaller the diameter, the smaller the Young's modulus, and the greater the degree of deflection under external mechanical stimulation of the movable and immovable cilia, the greater the deformation of the bionic supporting cells, thus resulting in higher sensitivity and a smaller sensing range. Conversely, the smaller the height, the larger the diameter, and the greater the Young's modulus of the cilia, the lower the sensing sensitivity and the larger the sensing range. The bionic sensory hair cells have the characteristics of adjustable sensitivity and adjustable measurement range. The bionic neural thalamic cell receptors can flexibly design the sensing sensitivity and sensing range according to the measurement requirements. Receptors with different sensitivities and sensing ranges can be arrayed and assembled according to different measurement targets to form a multifunctional sensing system.

[0061] Specifically, the gel material inside the biomimetic gel cap has a Young's modulus of approximately 10 Pa to 100 Pa, is a hydrophilic material, has a cross-linked porous structure, high mechanical strength, and a density similar to that of water.

[0062] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the fiber optic biomimetic neural thalamic cell receptor provided by the present invention, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown, the fiber optic bionic nerve tuft cell receptor includes a bionic nerve fiber 101, a first reflective surface 102, a bionic supporting cell 103, a second reflective surface 104, a bionic sensory hair cell 105, and a bionic gel cap 106.

[0063] Figure 2 This is a connection diagram of the fiber optic biomimetic neural thalamic cell receptor and optical transceiver system provided by the present invention, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the light emitting unit 2 sends the detection light signal to the fiber optic bionic neural thalamus cell receptor 1, and the light receiving unit 3 receives the reflected light signal from the fiber optic bionic neural thalamus cell receptor 1 and transmits it to the light signal processing unit 4 to analyze the sound wave, flow velocity, pressure, temperature and water disturbance signals to be measured.

[0064] Figure 3 This is a structural design diagram of the biomimetic supporting cell provided by the present invention, such as... Figure 3 As shown in (a), the biomimetic support cell 103 includes a support body 1031 and a sealing ring 1032. The support body is hollow inside, and the upper layer of circular holes is distributed along the ring. The diameter of the circular holes is 3-5 μm, which is used for the outflow of photoresist developer. The height of the holes is 3 μm. The wall thickness of the upper layer of the hollow cylinder needs to meet the weight of the sensory hair cells. After the support body is formed, the sealing ring is processed by two-photon polymerization process to seal the circular holes. The outer diameter of the sealing ring is the same as that of the biomimetic nerve fiber, and the width needs to cover the diameter of the circular hole. Figure 3 (b) and (c) are the top view and left view of the support 1031, respectively.

[0065] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the testing principle of the fiber optic biomimetic neural mound cell receptor provided by the present invention, as shown below. Figure 4 As shown, external mechanical stimulation first acts on the bionic gel cap, causing the gel material inside the cap to flow and generating frictional and viscous resistance. These frictional and viscous resistances cause the sensory hair cells to deflect. This deflection of the sensory hair cells causes deformation at the top of the bionic supporting cells. Simultaneously, the reflected light from the first and second reflecting surfaces, forming a Fabry-Perot cavity with the bionic supporting cells, interferes with each other. The deformation at the top of the bionic supporting cells alters the cavity's length and refractive index, thus affecting the intensity and resonant wavelength of the interference light signal.

[0066] It is believed that the higher the height of the cilia, the finer the diameter, and the smaller the Young's modulus of the material in hair cells, the higher the sensitivity of the receptors.

[0067] Figure 5 The following is a diagram illustrating the fabrication process of the fiber optic biomimetic neural mound cell receptor provided by this invention: Figure 5 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0068] S1. Flatten the end face of the single-mode fiber and rinse it with deionized water;

[0069] Single-mode optical fiber consists of a cladding and a core. The cladding diameter is 125 μm, and the core diameter is 10 μm.

[0070] S2. A high-reflectivity thin film is deposited on the end face of the optical fiber by vacuum evaporation or magnetron sputtering as the first reflective surface;

[0071] The reflective surface can be made of TiO2 / SiO2 dielectric film with a film thickness of 100-800nm.

[0072] S3. Fix the optical fiber with an optical fiber clamp and apply an appropriate amount of photoresist to the end face of the coated optical fiber.

[0073] The photoresist has a Young's modulus of 15.3 MPa and a density of 1.01 g / cm³. 3 , refractive index 1.45.

[0074] S4. Preheat the entire structure in a 90℃ incubator for 2 hours. Place the heated structure on the pressure station of the laser processing system and adjust the pressure station to focus the laser at the predetermined position.

[0075] S5. The laser focus is first focused on the lower middle part of the photoresist. The pressure station moves according to the preset program, and the laser scans the support structure inside the photoresist point by point.

[0076] S6. After laser treatment, the sample was placed in a 90℃ incubator for 2 hours and then heated. Finally, the sample was immersed in acetone solution for 2 minutes for development to show the structure of the treated support.

[0077] The support has a diameter of 125µm, a height of 30µm, a diameter of 5µm for the circular hole, and a wall thickness of 3µm for the upper layer.

[0078] S7. Repeat steps S4-S6 to process the sealing ring structure on the support structure using the same steps.

[0079] The sealing ring has an inner diameter of 75µm, an outer diameter of 125µm, and a thickness of 2µm.

[0080] S8. A high-reflectivity thin film is deposited on the supporting cells by vacuum evaporation or magnetron sputtering as a second reflective surface.

[0081] S9. Repeat steps S4-S6 on the second reflective surface to process the biomimetic sensory hair cell structure on the second reflective surface in the same way.

[0082] The moving cilia have a diameter of 8 μm and a height of 500 μm, while the immobile cilia have a diameter of 5 μm and a height gradient of 50 μm.

[0083] S10. Bionic gel material is dropped onto bionic sensory hair cells and fully encapsulates the hair cell structure.

[0084] The biomimetic gel cap is a spindle-shaped droplet.

[0085] The processing system uses a near-infrared femtosecond laser for forming. Near-infrared femtosecond lasers have extremely high transmittance to most materials and can act within the material itself. Therefore, femtosecond laser forming does not suffer from oxygen inhibition, requires no vacuum or special gas atmosphere, and can be performed in an atmospheric environment at room temperature. Furthermore, because the polymerization reaction only occurs in a very small area near the laser focus, very high spatial resolution can be achieved. A Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser oscillator can be used. The laser beam is first collimated to match the beam diameter to the objective lens aperture. Its center wavelength is 780 nm, pulse width is 120 fs, and repetition rate is 80 MHz. The objective lens used in the processing is an oil immersion objective with a magnification of 60 ppm and a numerical aperture (NA) of 1.4.

[0086] The annular holes in the support structure are used to allow the developer to flow out, and the photoresist in the sealing ring needs to be cured as soon as possible during the processing. That is, the liquid photoresist used for forming the sealing ring cannot flow into the support through the annular holes, ensuring that the support structure is a hollow structure. Hollow structures are more prone to deformation and have higher sensitivity than solid structures.

[0087] The sensors can be expanded into an array to achieve the measurement of multiple parameters, including sound waves, flow velocity, pressure, temperature, and water disturbance.

[0088] The fiber optic bionic neural thalamic cell receptor is in the micrometer (µm) size, requiring high processing precision. This embodiment uses two-photon polymerization processing technology to process the supporting cells and hair cells, achieving high sensitivity while taking into account processing feasibility, realizing a micrometer-scale bionic cell that can be integrated with existing organisms.

[0089] Finally, it should be noted that the above specific embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multifunctional underwater sensing fiber optic biomimetic neural thalamic cell receptor, characterized in that, It includes biomimetic nerve fibers, a first reflective surface, biomimetic supporting cells, a second reflective surface, biomimetic sensory hair cells, and a biomimetic gel cap; The bionic nerve fiber is used for transmitting input light signals. The input light signal is transmitted to the first reflecting surface via the bionic nerve fiber. Part of the light signal is reflected back, and the other part is transmitted through the first reflecting surface and transmitted to the second reflecting surface via the bionic supporting cell. It is reflected back, and the reflected light signals from the first and second reflecting surfaces interfere with each other. The interference surfaces are the first and second reflecting surfaces, and the interference cavity is the bionic supporting cell. The bionic supporting cell is used to support the bionic sensory hair cells and the bionic gel cap, and together with the first and second reflecting surfaces, it forms a Fabry-Perot cavity. The bionic supporting cell includes a support body and a sealing ring. The support body is a hollow cylindrical structure, and there are circular holes distributed around the outer ring on the upper surface of the cylinder. The sealing ring is a circular structure, and its size covers the cylindrical holes of the support body. Both the support body and the sealing ring are made of photoresist. The circular holes of the support body are used for the developer to flow out. During the processing, the photoresist used for forming the sealing ring does not flow into the support body through the circular holes, ensuring that the support body structure is a hollow structure. The first and second reflective surfaces are high-reflectivity thin films with a reflectivity greater than 50% in the C-band; the first reflective surface is coated on the end face of the optical fiber, and the second reflective surface is coated on the biomimetic support cell; The biomimetic sensory hair cell includes one movable ciliary and several immobile cilia; the movable ciliary is located in the center of the first reflective surface, and the immobile cilia are distributed around it to form a cluster, and the height of the immobile cilia has a different height decrease gradient in each direction. The biomimetic gel cap contains a biomimetic gel substance that has viscous resistance and friction, and is used to encapsulate biomimetic sensory hair cells.

2. The multifunctional underwater sensing fiber optic biomimetic neural thalamic cell receptor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The biomimetic nerve fiber is a single-mode optical fiber.

3. The multifunctional underwater sensing fiber optic biomimetic neural thalamic cell receptor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The biomimetic gel cap is used to receive underwater mechanical stimulation signals. The gel material inside the biomimetic gel cap generates viscous resistance and friction under mechanical stimulation, further transmitting the mechanical stimulation to the sensory hair cells. The motile and immobile cilia tufts are deflected under mechanical stimulation, and mechanical stimulation of different directions and sizes will cause different degrees of deflection. This further causes the biomimetic supporting cells to deform and change their refractive index under the photoelastic effect, thereby changing the optical path of the light signal inside the biomimetic supporting cells. By demodulating the intensity and wavelength of the interference signal, the magnitude and direction of the underwater mechanical stimulation can be obtained.

4. The multifunctional underwater sensing fiber optic biomimetic neural thalamic cell receptor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height, diameter, and Young's modulus of the moving and stationary cilia are designed according to measurement requirements, adjusting the sensing sensitivity and sensing range; the higher the height, the smaller the diameter, the smaller the Young's modulus, and the higher the sensitivity.

5. A method for fabricating a multifunctional underwater sensing fiber optic biomimetic neural thalamic cell receptor as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Flatten the end face of the single-mode fiber and rinse it with deionized water; S2. A high-reflectivity thin film is deposited on the end face of the optical fiber by vacuum evaporation or magnetron sputtering as the first reflective surface; S3. Fix the optical fiber with an optical fiber clamp and apply photoresist to the end face of the coated optical fiber. S4. Preheat the entire structure in a 90°C incubator for 2 hours. Place the heated structure on the pressure station and adjust the pressure station to focus the laser at the predetermined position. S5. The laser focus is first focused on the lower middle part of the photoresist. The pressure station moves according to the preset program, and the laser scans the support structure inside the photoresist point by point. S6. After laser treatment, the sample was placed in a 90℃ incubator for 2 hours and then heated. Finally, the sample was immersed in acetone solution for 2 minutes for development to show the structure of the treated support. S7. Repeat steps S4-S6 to process the sealing ring structure on the support structure using the same steps. S8. A high-reflectivity thin film is deposited on the supporting cells by vacuum evaporation or magnetron sputtering as a second reflective surface; S9. Repeat steps S4-S6 on the second reflective surface to process the biomimetic sensory hair cell structure on the second reflective surface in the same way. S10, Bionic gel material is dropped onto bionic sensory hair cells and fully encapsulates the hair cell structure.

6. The method for fabricating a multifunctional underwater sensing fiber optic biomimetic neural mound cell receptor according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first and second reflective surfaces are dielectric films or ITO with a thickness of less than 100 nm; the photoresist is IP-PDMS with a Young's modulus of less than 20 MPa.

7. The method for fabricating a multifunctional underwater sensing fiber optic biomimetic neural mound cell receptor according to claim 5, characterized in that, The laser used in the processing system is a near-infrared femtosecond laser for shaping.