Miniaturized Flexible Flow Pump using SMA Actuator

Fluid pumps are one of the major components in engineering domain. The presence of fluid pumps in the medical field has gained momentum and has become an essential factor considering handling of life saving drugs and fluidic transport within the body. The need for a miniaturized flow pump based on size, application and capacity has driven the evolution from robust size pumps to MEMS based pumps. This paper proposes a novel methodology of actuation based on flow generation in a flexible tube by inducing variable pressure difference within the tube by external actuation by Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wires. The proposed method helps in achieving miniaturization and bidirectional flow of fluid which is not possible in traditional pumps. These miniature pumps find their application where there is need for contactless operation between the working fluid and the pump, to avoid contamination of the working fluid or when the working fluid is aggressive or toxic. A detailed insight of the working principle and the conceptual design is provided. Preliminary test results and analytical results are presented. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.