Design and development of a 3D-printed back-pressure regulator

Abstract

In this communication, we describe the novel design and preparation of a back-pressure regulator that can be used in flow chemistry applications. Using low-cost components that can be readily sourced, a low-cost 3D printer and freeware design software, we developed, and 3D printed a back-pressure regulator that is simple to assemble and resistant to blocking. This device can be used to maintain the pressure of a fluidic system between the pump head to the back-pressure regulator and allows the collector, or collection vessel to be at atmospheric pressure. Ensuring control of pressure within the fluidic system is essential for maintaining consistent flow rates in flow chemistry set ups.

Control and Monitoring of Temperature in 3D-Printed Circular Disk Reactors for Continuous Flow Photochemistry using Raspberry Pi Based Software

“…A 0.5 M acetonitrile solution of methyl hydrocinnamate and NBS was then passed through the photo-CDR at 0.5 mL/min, residence time of 420 seconds, and the degree of conversion to the brominated product determined by NMR (Table 1). For the fluidic system we used the IKA-Flow system and controlled the flow rate using either a restrictor or a 3D-printed back-pressure regulator [3]. See supplementary information.…”

A miniaturized 3D printed pressure regulator (µPR) for microfluidic cell culture applications

“…During the cell culture experiment, we were able to deliver a constant flow rate of media to the culture platform to maintain a viable environment for HUVECs as compared to the no-flow situation. For more complicated microfluidic networks or closed-end systems, users can add back-pressure regulators to raise the downstream pressure threshold at the end of the microfluidic network to prevent potential backflows, however, this would require a higher range of driving pressures to deliver the same flow rates 26 , 53 .…”