A stand-alone peristaltic micropump based on piezoelectric actuation

Abstract

Despite significant efforts to develop micropumps, cumbersome driving equipment means that the design of portable micropumps remains a challenge. This study presents a stand-alone micropump system, which includes a peristaltic micropump based on piezoelectric actuation and a driving circuit. This battery-based driving circuit comprises a 12 V battery, an ATmega 8535 microprocessor, a 12 V-to-180 V DC to DC converter using transformerless technology, three differential amplifiers, an IC 7805, a phase controller, an A/D converter, a keyboard and an LCD module. The system can produce step-function signals with voltages of up to 228 V(pp) and frequencies ranging from 10 Hz to 100 kHz, as the inputs for the pump. It is portable and programmable with the package size of 22 x 12.8 x 9 cm. Additionally, this proposed system is used to design the driving signals of the pump which are 3-, 4, and 6-phase actuation sequences. This work performs the circuit testing and fluid pumping, and demonstrates the effects of actuation sequences on pump performance in terms of the dynamic behavior of the diaphragm, flow rates, back pressure and power consumption of the system. The experimental results show that the pump excited by the 6-phase sequence results in better performance compared with the 3- and 4-phase sequences, and produces a maximum flow rate of 36.8 microl/min and a maximum back pressure of 520 Pa with deionized water at 100 V (pp) and 700 Hz.

Recent advances in microscale pumping technologies: a review and evaluation

“…One of their advantages is that they can provide comparatively high back pressures (Geipel et al 2007, Jang et al 2007). Flow rate measurements on a range of pneumatically actuated, peristaltic, PDMS pump geometries have been presented along with a simple non-linear model to describe the pump dynamics (Goulpeau et al 2005).…”

“…Susceptibility to bubbles can pose a significant problem for these pumps and/or valving. Peristaltic pumps can be bubble-tolerant and capable of self-priming and providing bi-directional flows (Jang et al 2007). …”

“…Peristaltic pumps are capable of providing bi-directional flows since diaphragm actuation provides the valving, whereas for nozzle/diffuser or fixed-geometry, flap valves, the flow is only uni-directional (Jang et al 2007). However, bi-directional flow has been achieved by incorporating more than one pump into the design and alternating the actuation of the pumps (Yoon et al 2007).…”

Development of a Peristaltic Micropump with Lightweight Piezo-Composite Actuator Membrane Valves

“…The peristaltic micropump presented by Jang et al (2007) had a package size of 75 mm × 21 mm × 1.1 mm, a flow rate of 36.8 µm/min, a backpressure of 520 Pa, and a power consumption of 683 mW at 100 Vp-p and 700 Hz. The present peristaltic micropump had a package size of 28.24 mm × 12 mm × 2 mm, a flow rate of 820 µm/min, a backpressure of 2.6 kPa, and a power consumption of 51 mW at 160 Vp-p and 70 Hz.…”

“…Doll et al (2006) developed a high-performance bidirectional micropump for a novel artificial sphincter system; the high backpressure produced by this type of pump can maintain the state of the pressurized inner cuff. Jang et al (2007), on the other hand, developed a stand-alone peristaltic micropump with a battery-operated driving circuit.…”