Pneumatic Actuated Linear Peristaltic Micro Pump for Standalone and On-Chip Applications

A novel linear peristaltic micro pump has been developed, actuated by miniaturized pneumatic cylinders. The pump allows a precise dosing of small volumes in the micro liter range. A molded tube with implemented flanges is key element and enables a fast factory-made integration into single use cartridges, offering numerous advantages. A pressure of up to 0.25 bar was generated, while a small internal tube volume of 1.9 μL allows handling of expensive or rare fluids. Its small size provides an implementation of the approach into biochips or microfluidic systems. The standalone version can be connected to semi flexible tubes or pipes via an unique BNC coupling system. The fatigue resistance of the cartridge was under investigation. Tube and cartridge are simple structured for injection molding and easy assembling. Other actuation principles can be used.