Morpho Butterfly Wings Inspire Thermal Imagers

Moayyad Alssabbagh

MGQ120003

M.Medphys 2012/2013

sabmomo75@gmail.com

This research:

Dr. Potyrailo and his colleagues at GE Global Research, the technology development segment of General Electric Co.

* BioPhotonics - April 2012

IntroductionAt the moment, thermal infrared imaging to see in the dark requires a complex piece of kit which converts heat into a change in resistance. Then connected up to give an image on a screen or in night vision goggles.

By studying the iridescent scales of the Morpho butterfly could inspire a new, affordable technology that absorbs the IR photons and gives an optical readout.

Definition:Carbon Nanotube (CNTs):

is a tube-shaped material, made of carbon, having a diameter measuring on the nanometer scale. Three types of it:

Single, double and triple-walled carbon nanotubes

Morpho butterfly wing composed of nanostructured chitin that refracting and reflecting light in such a way as to give them the iridescent blue color.

Principle

By adding carbon

nanotubes to butterfly

wings, it has been

able to turn these

nanostructures into

an infrared (IR)

detector.

How it works:• When the scales were heated from one

side by infrared radiation, a slight expansion and contraction changes the spacing between the micro components on the wing.

• This will change the reflected and absorbed when white light hit the scales from the other side.

• It can detect Rapid temperature differences as small as 0.018°C (0.032°F). Which appears as a color changes.

How it works: (Cont.)

• Because CNTs have excellent thermal conductivity, doping the wings’ surface with CNTs enhance the absorption of IR radiation

How it works: (Cont.)

• The decoration of CNTs with material surface, helped to diffuse heat through the chitin away from the site of irradiation, thus providing a molecular heat sink.

How it works: (Cont.)

• This means that a sensor using this technology could cool down quickly without heat sinks.

• Existing thermal detectors require thermal cooling or heat sinks

Applications: • industrial inspection – (condition indicator by

visual heat maps of imaged areas)

• Advanced thermal vision – (Night and day in

much greater detail) * military applications

• Thermal Imaging for advanced medical diagnosis. (Visualize inflammation, understand

changes in health)

• Fire thermal Imaging – (Aid firefighters)

• Thermal security surveillance

• Thermal characterization of wound infections – (Facilitate early diagnosis)

Limitation: • It is still at an

early stage and need to find a way to produce the chitin – or a similar material – before they can produce applicable sensor.

(Using butterfly wings means kill more butterflies)

Future step: • The next step, is to produce thermally

sensitive nanostructures as thin films. The IR light will come from one side of the thin film causing it to be heated. The other side of the film will be iridescent and will locally change its colors upon local heating.

It’s very clever to use the structures found in nature to improve our lives.

References:• Butterfly lights the way to better thermal imaging, Institute of

Physics. and http://www.iop.org/. http://physicsworld.com/

• Morpho butterfly wings inspire thermal imagers. BioPhotonics -2012 - April - BioScan, http://photonics.com/Article.aspx?AID=50630

• New Butterfly-inspired Design From GE To Enable More Advanced, Low Cost Thermal Imaging Devices. http://www.genewscenter.com/Press-Releases/New-Butterfly-inspired-Design-From-GE-To-Enable-More-Advanced-Low-Cost-Thermal-Imaging-Devices-3663.aspx.

• Nanostructures of Morpho butterfly wing scales demonstrate high resolution of temperature changes at high speed. GE global research. http://ge.geglobalresearch.com/

• - Thermal imaging on the wing. Royal Society of Chemistry, http://www.rsc.org/

• Discovery Of Design: Biomimicry in Nature Morpho Butterfly - Heat Sensor - http://www.discoveryofdesign.com/id113.html