Fabrication of Peristaltic Micropump Driven by a Single-Phase Pneumatic Force

Abstract

In this paper, we describe a micropump with self-generated peristaltic action, operated by a single-phase pneumatic force for use in a functional microhand. The micropump consists of three actuators and a microfluidic channel. The actuators are connected by a single microchannel for the supply of external compressed air. The self-generated peristaltic motion of the cascaded actuators is created by the pressure loss and the deformation of the actuator diaphragm induced by the applied pressure. Both the fluidic resistance along the microchannel and the fluidic capacitance of the actuator diaphragms result in the sequential deformation of the cascaded actuators, like a triple low-pass filter in an electrical circuit. The micropump was fabricated by soft lithography using only polydimethylsiloxane. The flow rate of the working fluid was observed and measured. The experimental results confirmed that the improved design of the actuators enables a high flow rate of working fluid at a low pressure.