Pneumatic micropumps with serially connected actuation chambers

This study presents a new pneumatic micropump featuring three membrane-enclosed air chambers with different volumes, such that serially connected actuation of these membranes can generate fluid movement. When compressed air fills the chambers, the membranes are pushed downward sequentially, resulting in the liquid in the underlying fluid channels being pumped forward peristaltically. Since the chambers are filled up sequentially with compressed air, from the smallest to largest chamber, this time delay generates a peristaltic motion in the membranes and forces the liquids to flow only along one direction. The pneumatic micropump is made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using soft lithography techniques. When compared with other pneumatic micropumps that usually require at least three electromagnetic valves (EMV), this new micropump can be operated by using a single EMV. Experimental results show that the micropump provides good performance even at low flow rates. The back pressure of the pneumatic micropump is measured at a fixed peak frequency to demonstrate the functionality of the micropump. The optimum operating conditions and geometric parameters of the micropump are systematically explored. A maximum flow of 108 mu l min(-1) is obtained at a driving frequency of 10 Hz and an air pressure of 25 psi (172.4 kPa) when a membrane with a thickness of 80 mu m and a microchannel with a width of 500 mu m are tested. The development of these micropumps could be crucial for automatic miniature biomedical and chemical analysis systems.