Bubble-based Micropump

Apparatus used for pumping a small quantity of fluid with a postage stamp-sized bubble-based micropump. The device creates one microscopic bubble at a time by heating the asymmetrical part between two small tubes. The repeated growth and collapse of one bubble forces the fluid through one tube allowing a small amount of fluid to be pumped. Because the bubble-powered micropump has no moving mechanical parts such as opening and closing valves, its prospects of failure are minimal. The device has great potential for practical applications ranging from environmental monitoring (e.g. testing liquid pollutants by disposed factories) to pharmaceutical delivery systems (e.g. testing costly drugs with minute samples). In the near future, further development to reduce the size of the device will provide the possibility to mount it on silicon chips ultimately constructing complete micro-analysis systems.
Proposed Use (Set) Ultra reliable micropump to move fluids in very tiny channels Patent (Set) 6,283,718

Patents:
US 6,283,718

Inventor(s): Prosperetti, Andrea

Type of Offer: Licensing



« More Engineering Patents

---