![]() Previously, fully implanted soft actuators have shown the ability to augment heart function 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and many other newly developed implantable robotics have shown utility in a broad spread of biological applications 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Soft robotic actuators are ideal for reproducing complex, repetitive muscle contractions, such as that of the diaphragm, while interfacing non-destructively with biological tissue. The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle that drives up to 70% of respiration 1, 6. Respiration is a fundamentally mechanical process. There is an urgent need for therapeutic ventilation options that restore respiratory performance without sacrificing quality of life, especially for those with the most severe cases of diaphragm dysfunction. Invasive ventilation can interfere with many aspects of a patient’s quality of life, such as hindering speech, requiring full-time care and possibly necessitating the patient move into a care facility. When disease progresses beyond the treatment capacity of non-invasive treatment, patients must make the difficult decision to opt for permanent invasive ventilation via a tracheostomy or to pursue palliative care with an understanding of the terminal nature of their disease. Severe diaphragm dysfunction or paralysis can lead to chronic respiratory failure. Owing to the degenerative nature of many of these etiologies, mechanical respiratory failure exists as a continuous spectrum of dysfunction. Diaphragm dysfunction can result from a variety of etiologies including phrenic nerve trauma 3 and neuromuscular disease 4, 5. ![]() The diaphragm is the major muscle responsible for inspiration and contributes up to 70% of the inspiratory tidal volume in a healthy individual 1, 2.
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