Novel Fluid Management System for Microfluidic Devices

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Microfluidics is a valuable tool in the development of new technologies for diagnosis and/or treatment of patients. One of the most difficult problems to bring microfiuidic products to the market place is fluid management. Currently microfiuidic devices rely on miniature pump arrays, check valves, etc. to manage fluid movement, which contribute to a higher cost in manufacturing and use of microfiuidic systems, particularly a microfiuidic system designed to be disposable. Therefore there is a need to develop a cheaper more efficient fluid management system to help bring more microfiuidic devices to the market place. Lynntech proposes to develop a novel fluid management system for microfiuidic systems that uniquely combines an array of inexpensive electrochemical pumps with miniature inflatable bladders to move multiple fluids in the microfiuidic chip. The Phase I project will focus on the fabrication and demonstration of the feasibility of the electrochemical pump array to displace fluids in a microfluidic chip. During the Phase II project, Lynntech will further optimize the electrochemical pumps and build a fully integrated prototype.