Development of a microfluidic electroosmosis pump on a chip for steady and continuous fluid delivery

Abstract

Infusion therapy is the most common form of therapy used in health care. However, the existing infusion devices show higher flow discrepancies as flow rates decrease to a few nLmin-1. As a result, dosing errors can contribute to the morbidity and mortality of patients. In thescope of project 18HLT08 MeDD II- Metrology for drugdelivery, this investigation aims at the development of a silicon microchip flow pump capable of steadily and continuously dispense very low flow rates of a few nLmin-1. The fabrication methodologies explored here use a combination of typical cleanroom micro/nanofabrication techniques and off-the-shelf equipment. Preliminary tests show flow rates as low as 45nLmin-1 can be obtained in this microfluidic electroosmotic pump. The experimental flow rates are in good agreement with results predicted bymultiphysics simulation, with less than 8% deviation ratio. This cost effective electroosmotic micropump has the potential to act as a steady and continuous drug delivery system to neonatal patients as well as to organs on chip (OoC), determining the stability of the shear stress imposed on the cells or the right cell culture medium conditions.