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  6. Integrated Electro-Magnetohydrodynamic Micropump

Integrated Electro-Magnetohydrodynamic Micropump

Description

A micropump for precision fluid handling that offers the advantages of highly controllable reversible flow over a wide range of flow rates, reduced frictional losses, and a compact design with no moving parts.

Additional Information

Patent number and inventors

US 8,480,377

Constantin Ciocanel and Nazmul Islam

Potential applications

This pump has applications in medical devices, diagnostics, and biochemical testing. In particular, this micropump can be used for flow regulation in fuel cells, drug delivery in micro-medical devices, and microelectronic cooling systems.

Benefits and advantages

Advantages include a highly controllable flow that can operate over a wide range of micro-flow rates with high efficiency, and a compact design with no moving parts, which is easy to integrate in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and in “lab-on-a-chip” devices. This micropump operates at low voltage (as small as 500mV bias voltage), which translates into high device portability and minimal pH gradients. Additionally, this micropump avoids electrolysis and its secondary effects due to its capability to operate at high frequencies.

Case number and licensing status

2009-002

This invention is available for licensing.