Characterization of syringe-pump-driven induced pressure fluctuations in elastic microchannels

Wen Zeng, Ian Jacobi, David J. Beck, Songjing Li, Howard A. Stone

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

83 Scopus citations

Abstract

We study pressure and flow-rate fluctuations in microchannels, where the flow rate is supplied by a syringe pump. We demonstrate that the pressure fluctuations are induced by the flow-rate fluctuations coming from mechanical oscillations of the pump motor. Also, we provide a mathematical model of the effect of the frequency of the pump on the normalized amplitude of pressure fluctuations and introduce a dimensionless parameter incorporating pump frequency, channel geometry and mechanical properties that can be used to predict the performance of different microfluidic device configurations. The normalized amplitude of pressure fluctuations decreases as the frequency of the pump increases and the elasticity of the channel material decreases. The mathematical model is verified experimentally over a range of typical operating conditions and possible applications are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1110-1115
Number of pages6
JournalLab on a Chip
Volume15
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 21 2015

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Chemistry
  • Bioengineering
  • Biochemistry
  • Biomedical Engineering

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