Phase-Optimized Peristaltic Pumping by Integrated Microfluidic Logic

Abstract

Microfluidic droplet generation typically entails an initial stabilization period on the order of minutes, exhibiting higher variation in droplet volume until the system reaches monodisperse production. The material lost during this period can be problematic when preparing droplets from limited samples such as patient biopsies. Active droplet generation strategies such as antiphase peristaltic pumping effectively reduce stabilization time but have required off-chip control hardware that reduces system accessibility. We present a fully integrated device that employs on-chip pneumatic logic to control phase-optimized peristaltic pumping. Droplet generation stabilizes in about a second, with only one or two non-uniform droplets produced initially.

Monolithically 3D-Printed Microfluidics with Embedded µTesla Pump

“…Furthermore, we achieved this fabrication not through complicated microfabrication, but by using a low-cost and fully automated 3D printing technique (stl files are presented in S3 differentiation microfluidic mode.stl, S4 Pump housing.stl and S5 Pump rotor.stl). There are numbers of complex microfluidics that can be accelerated and optimized using our integrated prototyping, for instance digital microfluidics [ 45 ], disposable nucleic assay amplification tests [ 46 ] and co-culture disease models [ 47 ]. For these and future bioengineering endeavors, we are proposing an integrated electromechanical microfluidic fabrication that is available at the push of a “print” button.…”

Drug screening on digital microfluidics for cancer precision medicine

“…Those droplets were normally discarded for analysis. To solve the problem of the swept volume introduced by syringes and tubing, Werner developed a microfluidic droplet generator system, which consisted of a series of peristaltic pumps controlled by an integrated pneumatic logic circuit, for reagents to be consumed directly from a well plate 18 . Nevertheless, the fabrication process was tedious and complicated.…”