Abstract
A valveless electromagnetic (EM) micropump with a matrix-patterned magnetic polymer composite actuator membrane structure was successfully designed and fabricated. The composite membrane structure is made of polydemethylsiloxane (PDMS) that is mixed with magnetic particles and patterned in matrix blocks. The matrix magnetic composite membrane was fabricated using a soft lithography process and expected to have a compact structure having sufficient magnetic force for membrane deformation and maintained membrane flexibility. The magnetic membrane was integrated with the microfluidic system and functionally tested. The experimental results show that a magnetic composite actuator membrane containing of 6% NdFeB is capable of producing a maximum membrane deflection up to 12.87 µm. The functionality test of the EM actuator for fluid pumping resulted in an extremely low sample injection flow rate of approximately 6.523 nL/min. It was also concluded that there is a correlation between the matrix structure of the actuator membrane and the fluid pumping flow rate. The injection flow rate of the EM micropump can be controlled by adjusting the input power supplied to the EM coil, and this is believed to improve the injection accuracy of the drug dosage and have potential in improving the proficiency of the existing drug delivery system.
Highlights
An electromagnetic (EM) actuator membrane is the most essential mechanical structure in an electromagnetically driven mechanical micropump system since a stable and reliable membrane structure against magnetic force is needed
We present a valveless electromagnetic micropump composed with a PDMS-based magnetic-composite polymer actuator membrane with a matrix pattern
We focus on the improvement of the magnetomechanic actuator that consists of a permanent magnet and a deformable mechanical membrane that is responsive to the magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic coil
Summary
An electromagnetic (EM) actuator membrane is the most essential mechanical structure in an electromagnetically driven mechanical micropump system since a stable and reliable membrane structure against magnetic force is needed. Researchers have replaced the silicon membrane with polymeric material to generate consistent actuation, as a polymer membrane is physically soft and highly flexible [12,13,14]. We replaced the conventional magnetic membrane structure with a new functional material made of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) with embedded magnetic particles, which led to a more compact membrane structure with a high magnetic response and improved mechanical deformation capability. We present a valveless electromagnetic micropump composed with a PDMS-based magnetic-composite polymer actuator membrane with a matrix pattern. We focus on the improvement of the magnetomechanic actuator that consists of a permanent magnet and a deformable mechanical membrane that is responsive to the magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic coil. Schematic pictures of the designed valveless electromagnetic micropump system components: the pictures structure of the micropump system; mechanism of electromagnetic
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