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A micropump using amplified deformation of resilient membranes through oil hydraulics

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Abstract

Toward the development of micropumps that operate under low external air pressures, a new polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), pneumatic micropump using amplified deformation of resilient PDMS membranes through oil hydraulics was presented in this study. The new micropump employed oil-hydraulic chambers with pre-filled mineral oil to amplify the deformation of flexible PDMS membranes; it therefore delivered a higher pumping rate and withstood a greater back pressure while requiring a significantly lower external air pressure for actuation. The optimized pumping rate and back pressure of the oil-hydraulic micropump compared favorably to previous pneumatic micropumps. Characterization of the micropump revealed that the oil hydraulics amplified the deformation of PDMS membranes by approximately threefold and improved the pumping rate and the back pressure by 77 and 21 %, respectively. With high pumping performances and the capability to be driven with only a low air pressure, this new micropump may therefore become a key component in future microfluidic devices and lab-on-a-chip systems.

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Abbreviations

MEMS:

Micro-electro-mechanical systems

LOC:

Lab-on-a-chip

PDMS:

Polydimethylsiloxane

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

CNC:

Computer-numerical control

PMMA:

Polymethylmethacrylate

EMV:

Electromagnetic valve

Pluronic P123:

Poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymer

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided to this study by the National Science Council in Taiwan (NSC101-2218-E-007-006). Partial financial support from the “Towards a World-Class University” Project is also greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan

    Chung-Hsien Liu & Gwo-Bin Lee

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  1. Chung-Hsien Liu
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  2. Gwo-Bin Lee
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Correspondence to Gwo-Bin Lee.

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Liu, CH., Lee, GB. A micropump using amplified deformation of resilient membranes through oil hydraulics. Microfluid Nanofluid 17, 393–400 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-013-1316-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-013-1316-4

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