Abstract
In this study, a microfluidic cantilever flow sensor was designed and manufactured to monitor liquid flow rate within the range of 100–1000 µl/min. System simulation was also performed to determine the influential optimal parameters and compare the results with experimental data. A flowmeter was constructed as a curved cantilever with dimensions of 6.9 × 0.5 × 0.6 mm3 and a microchannel carved with a CO2 laser inside the cantilever beam. The fabrication substance was Polydimethylsiloxane. Different flow rates were injected using a syringe pump to test the performance of the flowmeter. Vertical displacement of the cantilever was measured in each flowrate using a digital microscope. According to the results, the full-scale overall device accuracy was up to ± 1.39%, and the response time of the sensor was measured to be 6.3 s. The microchip sensitivity was 0.126 µm/(µl/min) in the range of measured flow rates. The sensor could also be utilized multiple times with an acceptable error value. The experimental data obtained by the constructed microchip had a linear trend (R2 = 0.995) and were of good consistency with simulation results. Furthermore, according to the experimental and the simulation data, the initially curved cantilever structure had a higher bending and sensitivity level than a perfectly straight cantilever construction.
Highlights
In this study, a microfluidic cantilever flow sensor was designed and manufactured to monitor liquid flow rate within the range of 100–1000 μl/min
A stable liquid flow in the microfluidic system is crucial since flow variations directly induce product failure[1,4,5], especially in applications, such as particle sorting and separation, flow cytometry, flow mixing, chemical synthesis, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)[6]
Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) have been proposed by researchers as a means to miniaturize flow sensors. Because of their low power consumption, high precision, short response time, portability, and cost-effectiveness, MEMS-based flow sensors are ideal to be used in microfluidic s ystems[1]
Summary
A microfluidic cantilever flow sensor was designed and manufactured to monitor liquid flow rate within the range of 100–1000 μl/min. Thanks to the possibility of using a small amount of sample, this kind of sensor has captured interest as a useful device to perform operations, including separations, reactions, or the detection of various objects, such as materials and particles This technology has been employed in biomedical applications, e.g., drug delivery, DNA/Gene analysis, and diagnosis of disease by lab-on-a-chip (LOC), or organ-on-a-chip, microreactors, and micro total analysis systems (μTAS)[1]. Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) have been proposed by researchers as a means to miniaturize flow sensors Because of their low power consumption, high precision, short response time, portability, and cost-effectiveness, MEMS-based flow sensors are ideal to be used in microfluidic s ystems[1].
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