Abstract
Active pumps are often used in microfluidic devices for programmable fluid flowrate in a microchannel. Active pumps have some drawbacks due to their large size and requirement of external power. To overcome them, a new class of passive pumps based on capillary action in cellulose material, known as paper-based microfluidic pumps, has recently been explored. In this study, fluid flow in 3D paper-based pumps was investigated using flowrate measurements in microchannels. In order to develop 3D cylindrical pumps, Whatman filter paper grade 1 was shredded, mixed with water, molded and dried. The patterned serpentine channel was created using a CO2 Laser Cutting/Engraving machine. The 3D paper-based pump was integrated with microfluidic channel. The effect of paper pumps of different porosities on the fluid flowrate through a serpentine microchannel was investigated. It was found that flowrate of the fluid flowing through the channel increases with an increase in the pump’s porosity. Moreover, these pumps have the ability to transport larger volumes of liquid with improved flowrate, programmability and control, in addition to being inexpensive and simple to design and fabricate. These 3D pumps will help researchers move closer to developing an effective miniaturized diagnostic platform for point-of-care (POC) diagnostic applications.
Highlights
Micropumps are critical components of integrated microfluidic devices that can control and manipulate small volumes of liquids
We examined a 3D paper-based microfluidic pump for passively transporting liquid through a microfluidic platform
Two cylindrical 3D paper-based pumps of different porosities and the same sizes were experimentally tested to investigate the effect of the pumps’ porosity on the flowrate of water flowing through the microfluidic serpentine channel
Summary
Micropumps are critical components of integrated microfluidic devices that can control and manipulate small volumes of liquids. These pumps are intended to deliver a constant flow rate, fast delivery and easy flow rate adjustment [1]. A number of passive pumping methods have been proposed as an alternative to active pumps, allowing considerable pumping simplification [4]. These passive pumping methods mainly employ capillary action, surface tension and evaporation to drive fluid flow [5]
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