ALLERTON.Press

ALLERTON.Press ALLERTON.Press ALLERTON.Press ALLERTON.Press
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • SUBMIT
  • VOLUME (50)
  • VOLUME (49)
  • VOLUME (48)
  • Databases

ALLERTON.Press

ALLERTON.Press ALLERTON.Press ALLERTON.Press
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • SUBMIT
  • VOLUME (50)
  • VOLUME (49)
  • VOLUME (48)
  • Databases

Fluidic Control: The Power of Microfluidic Valves with Structured Elastomeric Membranes

  

P. Rezai,  W-I. Wu and P.R. Selvaganapathy

Abstract

    

Inexpensive and small-scale microfluidic applications can benefit from a passive microvalve, which this study presents as a flow control device. The device comprises a flow regulating valve and a flow check valve, and can achieve precise forward flow without backward leakage. The flow regulating valve can maintain a steady flow rate over a certain liquid pressure, while the flow check valve enables efficient on/off liquid control. The study employed 3D FSI simulation to investigate the flow performance of the flow regulating valve, and identified key parameters that directly impact its flow rate. A prototype was fabricated using 3D printing and UV laser cutting technologies to assess the device's flow characteristics under different pressures. Experimental results showed that the device achieved a consistent forward flow rate of 0.42 ± 0.02 mL s−1 at an inlet pressure range of 70 kPa to 130 kPa, and stopped liquid flow completely in the reverse mode at a maximum pressure of 200 kPa. The proposed microfluidic flow control device has the potential to be used in cost-effective and portable Lab-on-a-Chip (LoC) applications.
 

Full artical

results

    References

     

    1. Rho, H.S.; Yang, Y.; Hanke, A.T.; Ottens, M.; Terstappen, L.W.; Gardeniers, H. Programmable v-type valve for cell and particle manipulation in microfluidic devices. Lab Chip 2016, 16, 305–311. 

    2. Zhang, X.; Zhu, Z.; Xiang, N.; Long, F.; Ni, Z. Automated microfluidic instrument for label-free and highthroughput cell separation. Anal. Chem. 2018, 90, 4212–4220. 

    3. Kim, H.; Kim, J.A microfluidic-based dynamic microarray system with single-layer pneumatic valves for immobilization and selective retrieval of single microbeads. Microfluid. Nanofluid. 2013, 16, 623–633. 

    4. Wang, J.-H.; Lee, G.-B. Formation of tunable, emulsion micro-droplets utilizing flow-focusing channels and a normally-closed micro-valve. Micromachines 2013, 4, 306–320. 

    5. Ishida, T.; McLaughlin, D.; Tanaka, Y.; Omata, T. First-come-first-store microfluidic device of droplets using hydrophobic passive microvalves. Sens. Actuators B 2018, 254, 1005–1010. 

    6. Gong, H.; Woolley, A.T.; Nordin, G.P. High density 3D printed microfluidic valves, pumps, and multiplexers. Lab Chip 2016, 16, 2450–2458. 

    7. Hwang, A.A.; Lu, J.; Tamanoi, F.; Zink, J.I. Functional nanovalves on protein-coated nanoparticles for in vitro and in vivo controlled drug delivery. Small 2015, 11, 319–328. 

    8. Cousseau, P; Hirschi, R; Frehner, B; Gamper, S; Maillefer, D. Improved micro-flow regulator for drug delivery systems. In Proceedings of the 14th IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (Cat. No.01CH37090), Interlaken, Switzerland, 25–25 January 2001; pp. 527–530. 

    9. Au, A.K.; Lai, H.; Utela, B.R.; Folch, A. Microvalves and micropumps for BioMEMS. Micromachines 2011, 2, 179–220. 

    10. Pourmand, A.; Shaegh, S.A.M.; Ghavifekr, H.B.; Najafi Aghdam, E.; Dokmeci, M.R.; Khademhosseini, A.; Zhang, Y.S. Fabrication of whole-thermoplastic normally closed microvalve, micro check valve, and micropump. Sens. Actuators B 2018, 262, 625–636. 

    11. Kawai, K.; Arima, K.; Morita, M.; Shoji, S. Microfluidic valve array control system integrating a fluid demultiplexer circuit. J. Micromech. Microeng. 2015, 25, 065016. 

    12. Kaminaga, M.; Ishida, T.; Omata, T. Fabrication of pneumatic microvalve for tall microchannel using inclined lithography. Micromachines 2016, 7, 224. 

    13. Pugliese, M.; Ferrara, F.; Bramanti, A.P.; Gigli, G.; Maiorano, V. In-plane cost-effective magnetically actuated valve for microfluidic applications. Smart Mater. Struct. 2017, 26, 045033. 

    14. Harper, J.C.; Andrews, J.M.; Ben, C.; Hunt, A.C.; Murton, J.K.; Carson, B.D.; Bachand, G.D.; Lovchik, J.A.; Arndt, W.D.; Finley, M.R.; et al. Magnetic-adhesive based valves for microfluidic devices used in lowresource settings. Lab Chip 2016, 16, 4142–4151. 

    15. Cheng, C.; Nair, A.R.; Thakur, R.; Fridman, G. Normally closed plunger-membrane microvalve selfactuated electrically using a shape memory alloy wire. Microfluid. Nanofluid. 2018, 22, 29. 

    16. Potkay, J.A.; Wise, K.D. A hybrid thermopneumatic and electrostatic microvalve with integrated position sensing. Micromachines 2012, 3, 379–395. 

    17. Vahid, B.; Boris, S. Flow control using a thermally actuated microfluidic relay valve. J. Microelectromech. Syst. 2010, 19, 1079–1087. 

    18. Yalikun, Y.; Tanaka, Y. Large-scale integration of all-glass valves on a microfluidic device. Micromachines 2016, 7, 83. 

    19. Thorsen, T.; Maerkl, S.J.; Quake, S.R. Microfluidic large-scale integration. Science 2002, 298, 580–584. 

    20. Araci, I.E.; Quake, S.R. Microfluidic very large scale integration (mVLSI) with integrated micromechanical valves. Lab Chip 2012, 12, 2803–2806. 

    21. Oskooei, A.; Abolhasani, M.; Gunther, A. Bubble gate for in-plane flow control. Lab Chip 2013, 13, 2519– 2527. 

    22. Safavieh, R.; Juncker, D. Capillarics: pre-programmed, self-powered microfluidic circuits built from capillary elements. Lab Chip 2013, 13, 4180–4189. 

    23. Thurgood, P.; Zhu, J.Y.; Nguyen, N.; Nahavandi, S.; Jex, A.R.; Pirogova, E.; Baratchi, S.; Khoshmanesh, K. A self-sufficient pressure pump using latex balloons for microfluidic applications. Lab Chip 2018, 18, 2730– 2740. 

    24. Chang, H.J.; Ye, W.; Kartalov, E.P. Quantitative modeling of the behaviour of microfluidic autoregulatory devices. Lab Chip 2012, 12, 1890–1896. 

    25. Cornaggia, L.; Conti, L.; Hannebelle, M.; Gamper, S.; Dumont-Fillon, D.; Lintel, H.; Renaud, P.; Chappel, E. Passive flow control valve for protein delivery. Cogent Eng. 2017, 4, 1413923. 

    26. Kartalov, E.P.; Walker, C.; Taylor, C.R.; Anderson, W.F.; Scherer, A. Microfluidic vias enable nested bioarrays and autoregulatory devices in Newtonian fluids. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2006, 103, 12280–12284. 

    27. Yang, B.; Lin, Q. Planar micro-check valves exploiting large polymer compliance. Sens. Actuators A 2007, 134, 186–193. 

    28. Yang, B.; Lin, Q. A planar compliance-based self-adaptive microfluid variable resistor. J. Microelectromech. Syst. 2007, 16, 411–419. 

    29. Unger, M.A.; Chou, H.-P.; Thorsen, T.; Scherer, A.; Quake, S.R. Monolithic microfabricated valves and pumps by multilayer soft lithography. Science 2000, 288, 113–116. 

    30. Zhang, X.; Xiang, N.; Tang, W.; Huang, D.; Wang, X.; Yi, H.; Ni, Z. A passive flow regulator with low threshold pressure for high-throughput inertial isolation of microbeads. Lab Chip 2015, 15, 3473–3480. 

    31. Zhang, X.; Zhu, Z.; Ni, Z.; Xiang, N.; Yi, H. Inexpensive, rapid fabrication of polymer-film microfluidic autoregulatory valve for disposable microfluidics. Biomed. Microdevices 2017, 19, 21. 

    32. Doh, I.; Cho, Y.H. Passive flow-rate regulators using pressure-dependent autonomous deflection of parallel membrane valves. Lab Chip 2009, 9, 2070–2075. 

    33. Zhang, X.; Wang X.; Chen K.; Cheng J.; Xiang N.; Ni, Z. Passive flow regulator for precise high-throughput flow rate control in microfluidic environments. RSC Adv. 2016, 6, 31639–31646. 

    34. Natarajan, G.P.; Kim, S.-J.; Kim, C.-W. Analysis of membrane behavior of a normally closed microvalve using a fluid-structure interaction model. Micromachines 2017, 8, 355. 

    35. Zhang, X.; Huang, D.; Tang, W.; Jiang, D.; Chen, K.; Yi, H.; Xiang, N.; Ni, Z. A low cost and quasicommercial polymer film chip for high-throughput inertial cell isolation. RSC Adv. 2016, 6, 9734–9742. 

    36. Chen, S.; Liu, Y.; Shen, Y.; Wang, J.; Yang, Z. The structure of wheel check valve influence on air block phenomenon of piezoelectric micro-pump. Micromachines 2015, 6, 1745–1754. 

    37. Hyeon, J.; So, H. Microfabricaton of microfluidic check valves using comb-shaped moving plug for suppression of backflow in microchannel. Biomed. Microdevices 2019, 21, 19. 

    38. Nguyen, N.-T.; Truong, T.-Q; Wong, K.-K.; Ho, S.-S., Low, C.L.-N. Micro check valves for integration into polymeric microfluidic devices. J. Micromech. Microeng. 2004, 14, 69–75. 

    39. Tanaka, Y.; Sato, K.; Kitamori, T. Assembly and simple demonstration of a micropump installing PDMSbased thin membranes as flexible micro check valves. J. Biomed. Nanotechnol. 2009, 5, 516–520. 

    40. Jeon, N.L.; Chiu, D.T.; Wargo, C.J.; Wu, H.; Choi, I.S.; Anderson, J.R.; Whitesides, G.M. Design and fabrication of integrated passive valves and pumps for flexible polymer 3-dimensional microfluidic systems. Biomed. Microdevices 2002, 4, 117–121. 

    Downloads

    Fluidic Control: The Power of Microfluidic Valves with Structured Elastomeric Membranes (pdf)Download

    Copyright © 1981-2025 ALLERTON - All Rights Reserved.

    Powered by

    Announcement

    Welcome! Check out my new announcement.

    Learn more