A valve-less microfluidic peristaltic pumping method

We demonstrate a valve-less microfluidic peristaltic pumping method which enables the delivery of continuous nanoliter-scale flow with high precision. The fluid is driven by squeezing the microchannels embedded in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) device with rolling cams or bearings. We achieve continuous and uniform flow with velocity range from 1 to 500 nl/s, with outflow volume error within 3 nl. The devices show enhanced backpressure resistance up to 340 kPa. This method also shows great flexibility. By altering the channels' layout, emulsions and plugs can be generated easily. These low-cost and easy-to-fabricate micro-pumps offer novel approaches for liquid actuation in various microfluidic applications. (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.