FAQ
Welcome to our FAQ page!
Here you will find frequently asked questions about our products (microComponents: micropumps, evaluation sets, electronics, accessories) and services (MicroEngineering), functions, applications and many other topics.
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mp6
It is possible to push a host clamp over the attached tubing end to clamp it tightly to the connector. For a good sealing we recommend our mp-hc which gives a good sealing regarding leaking. Another option is to use a wire ferrule. The ferrule doesn’t have to be crimped. If crimping is required for a very strong fixation, please make sure that the ferrule does not create such a deformation that a gap appears again. With mp6 and Tygon tubing (mp-t ID 1.3) a wire ferrule for 4 mm² (internal diameter 2.8 mm) is very good. If you would like to test other diameters from other tubing ferrules, we recommend to test it on your own.
We don’t have data on particle effects with the mp6-gas micropump. If you require specific data on particle effects, we are happy to help. We can perform tests for you. Contact us for the specifics.
The mp6 micropumps have been tested running at humidities from 95% to ~10%. These shortterm tests can not give hints regarding long-term usage, as water can appear at electric connections inside Molex connector and beneath the lid where the actuators are.
If you allow for a drying step (time unknown) of attached liquid after extreme humidity storage, the pump should be fine afterwards.
Yes it is possible with the following methods:
- autoclavation
- EtO
- alcohol (Ethanol)
- e-beam radiation
- gamma radiation
The pump cable has to be inserted with the contact surfaces orientated down into the plug. Both components are firmly connected by closing the white plug. When disconnecting the pump, the board connector must first be opened! Verify yourself that the board connector is always locked before start running the pump. Otherwise, this will lead to a malfunction of the pump or the electronics. For more information, please refer to the mp6 data sheet.
All wetted materials inside the standard mp6 are PPSU.
The mp6-series micropumps are made with material of two grades of PPSU: natural and black. The lid is black (Radel R-5100 BK 937) and the body transparent (Radel R-5000 NT), this improvement will allow the visual detection of air bubbles and particles in the pump chambers.
The black PPSU material has some part of carbon black. The other materials do not have carbon added. The mp6-series micropumps apply the technologies of laser welding and laser marking.
The adhesives that are used in the mp6 assembly are not in any contact with the liquid. However one of them, an epoxy, may contain carbon.
The controllers mp-Highdriver, mp-Lowdriver, mp-Driver and mp-Labtronix from Bartels Mikrotechnik are optimized for driving a single mp6 pump. The mp-Highdriver4 allows controlling up to four mp6 micropumps up to a frequency of 800 Hz. For evaluation purpose, the mp-Multiboard2 can be used and is able to implement up to three of the driver chips, to give an easy set up to test the micropumps and the driver chips. With this opportunity you can run up to 6 micropumps with one mp-Multiboard2. If you want to use more mp-Multiboard2 with one Laptop you are free of doing so, as long as you have enough ports available.
For serial applications we offer customized electronics that can be tailored to the customers’ requirements. Please contact us for more details.
We guarantee a lifetime of minimum 5.000 continuous working hours under lab conditions for the micropump mp6 series (>10.000 hours have been achieved without any notable failures). These values have been achieved by using a micropump from the mp6 series tested with the mp-Labtronix controller at 250 Vpp, 100 Hz for liquids and 300 Hz for gases and SRS signal. Even if we have reached more than 10.000 hours the warranty period of 5.000 hours has to be shared in this form, as the piezo supplier just guarantees this value.
For information: The main causes for breakdown for long running times are the piezoceramic of the actuators and clogging of the fluidic path. Clogging can be avoided by filtering. The piezo elements can be damaged by recurring voltage/current-spikes. If the switch-on and switch-off action is done properly, i.e. without any voltage/current-spikes of the driving signal, the actuator will remain intact.
If the pumps behave erratically, it is very often caused by improper priming. If air is still inside, which is on the one hand compressible and on the other hand uncontrollable to know when such an air bubble starts to come out, the flow rate can vary a lot.
NOTE: For priming run the pump at max settings. The beginning of the priming may be difficult as plastic materials are in general hydrophobic, so that air bubbles may remain inside.
If the liquid is not degassed and remains inside the pump tiny gas bubbles will appear on the interior surfaces after some time. It is the same effect as in a glass of tap water. These gas bubbles are compressible and eat up a bit of actuator stroke and compression that lead to decreasing pump performance.
The piezo actuators are driven by the electronic controller connected to the micropump. When the driving signal has fast amplitude changes and the set frequency is in the range of human perception, a sound can be heard. If a sinusoidal signal is used within low frequencies (e.g. up to 200 Hz), the lowest sound generation is reached. If a rectangular signal is used, the highest sound generation will be reached.
- Short: yes, it is possible to transport mixtures.
- If the pump can process both of the liquids the flow rate may change due to viscosity of the liquid currently inside the pump. For instance, if a succession of water-gas-water-gas volumes with one pump setting (amplitude and frequency) is wanted, the flow rate will increase with the gas phase and drop back with the liquid phase. Same will happen with two differently viscous liquids, though not as drastic as with air-liquid. However, when the separating front of the two media goes into the pump it will be blurred a bit when it comes out again. This means the separation between the two media will not be a sharp front, but a kind of mixture section in between. With air-water there will be some foamed section (which may collapse after some travelling along the tube line), with two liquids, there will be a real mixture (example: a succession of red and blue water entering the pump will come out as violet in this mixture section). How large this mixture section will be or if it will be there at all has to be tested, as this is also dependent on the pump settings and flow rate.
The micropump has an backflow when turning off, but this depends on the pressure in the system. The pumps are designed fluidically open, that means the passive valves inside the pump open on dynamic pressure changes. However, the valves are not completely leak tight and there will be a certain backflow – liquid or air – when a pressure difference exist. For a system where a pressure level has to be kept up it will be better to use a good sealing valve like our mp-cv. Combined with a simple pressure sensor that monitors the pressure level it is possible to build a system where the electronic will trigger the pump to raise the pressure again once the level dropped below a certain value. It is absolutely possible to let the pump run continuously keeping the pressure level up. No damage occurs due to constant action. With max setting, for instance max amplitude and 300 Hz, the max air pressure will be maintained. Pressure levels will be possible with different amplitudes, but this requires some experiments depending on the pressurized volume.
The pump can work even well below 1Hz (if necessary) but not every Bartels driver does support it.
The mp-Labtronix controller has a frequency range of 1-300 Hz. The mp-Highdriver4 and the mp-Highdriver have a lower frequency limit of 50 Hz. This cannot be disabled or changed. The mp-Lowdriver has a typical frequency range of 8-2000 Hz, but these Bartels electronic can work at 1 Hz as well, but each electronic just can control one micropump.
No, due to the passive check valves the micropump mp6 series can only pump in one direction. They are not designed to have a reversible flow.
Note: A specific valve arrangement can realize bidirectional flow. See for more details in our data sheet for the micropump.
In principle it is possible to pump blood with the mp6 micropump. But there might be some damaging of blood cells (red blood particles), but only with certain pump settings.
A recommondation we would like to give is to avoid the rectangular signal or high frequencies which both would force rapid and sharp motions of the pump valves, which could squeeze blood cells to hard. Hence, trying the sine signal and testing different frequency and amplitude to achieve desired flow rate with as less damage as possible is the best way to achieve successfully work with blood.
All our products, which we are producing in-house are available in our Online-Shop. We are offering in € and in $.
All other components can also be requested via our Mail or our contact form.
The optimum frequency should be selected based on the medium: 100 Hz for water, 300Hz or higher for gases, 50Hz or lower for oils. Thereafter, the position of the working line of the pump (straight line from maximum pressure to maximum flow) depends on the used amplitude and shifts almost parallel to the origin when it is reduced. Since the operation with gases is more flexible, both amplitude and frequency can be used to control the flow rate (and pressure). The actual flow rate always depends on the working line and the existing backpressure in the system. The value pair of flow and pressure is always on the working line which is conditional to the selected operating parameters (frequency and amplitude).
The data mentioned in the data sheet is 0-70°C which is based in water. The lowest is 0 because of ice creation, ice has an expanding character and may destroy the pump. At a temperature of 70°C water begins to create air bubbles like in a cooking pot. These air bubbles will combine and disturb the pump due to its compressive behavior. The pump will then behave as it’s not primed. So, if other liquids are used than water the temperature range may be different. For instance, with a cooling liquid that stays liquid below 0°C the pump will be still operational. Please note that we can’t guarantee these “enlarged” temperatures as we don’t know what liquid has whatever effects on the pump when the temperature changes that way. All information are based on water.
The storage best temperature range is: -20°C – 70° Celsius , if a small of liquid is remaining inside the pump (i.e. water).
But as long as the pump is stored without any liquid, i.e. water, there is no known limit to negative temperatures (Celsius). Positive temperatures are limited to ~130°C, regardless of liquid inside, as at that temperature the piezo ceramic and the applied adhesives will start to deteriorate.
This is not fully tested.
Internal there were tests made in which the mp6 micropumps could reach 3 µl/min. It might be able to go lower.
The lowest flow rate is very dependent on the conditions in the customers test system. Generally, a flow rate of about 20 µl/min for liquids can be achieved in most cases. With thorough optimization much lower rates can be achieved. In order to ensure stable pump performance, if possible, the frequency should be lowered first and the amplitude should be kept as high as possible. If necessary, a precision orifice can be used to limit the outlet flow additionally.
If the pressure is the same inside and outside the pump, i.e. one tube connector is open to the surrounding, you can store it at any pressure you want. When the pump is inside a bag with some air and the bag is put under pressure this will be the same.
Everything needed is supplied by the electronic controllers offered by Bartels Mikrotechnik. The combination of signal, amplitude and frequency defines the performance of the micropump.
For quick starting with the micropumps, the evaluation board mp-Multiboard2 offers flexibility via an ESP32 controller and comes with an easy user interface and the opportunity to get access for testing all four different driver chips offered by Bartels Mikrotechnik.
For integration purposes in mobile devices, in devices of small construction sizes and generally onto PCBs of any kind, the OEM driver chips mp-Highdriver, mp-Lowdriver, mp-Highdriver4 and mp-Driver were designed to offer most of the functionality required to drive the micropumps.
For laboratory applications, there is the extended micropump control mp-Labtronix. It is able to drive one micropump mp6-liq, mp6-gas or mp6-gas+ with different driving signals, the full range of amplitude and frequency manipulation and has an USB interface.
- The mp6 has two piezo actuators in order to achieve a reliable and reproducible pumping performance.
- The mp6 reaches a maximum back pressure of up to 600 mbar and a maximum flow rate of 8 ml/min at 100 Hz, 250 Vpp and SRS signal for liquids.
- For gases the characteristics are 25 ml/min and a back pressure up to 150 mbar with 300 Hz, 250 Vpp and SRS signal.
- The flow rate of the pumps shows a linear dependency on the back pressure. At 0 mbar back pressure the maximum pump rate can be achieved and at the maximum back pressure the flow rate is decreased to 0 ml/min. The amplitude defines the stroke of the actuator and therefore the displacement of the pumping media per pump cycles. Increase in amplitude linearly increases the flow rate to the maximum. The frequency determines the number of pump strokes over time. Volume flow increases linear with frequency for a certain frequency range. The micropump shows a good self-priming behavior and high bubble tolerance when pumping liquids.
- The mp6 has only material, polyphenylene sulphone (PSSU), in contact with the pumping fluid.
- 100 % tested Fluids: For both, liquids and gases
The functional principle of the Bartels micropumps is based on a piezoelectric diaphragm in combination with passive check valves. A piezo ceramic mounted on a coated brass membrane is deformed when voltage is applied. By the resulting down stroke, the medium is being displaced out of the pump chamber below. The check valves on both sides of the pump chamber define the flow direction. When the voltage decreases, the corresponding piezo deformation causes an upstroke of the membrane. The medium is sucked in and the chamber is filled again. In every second, the pump can do several hundreds of such pumping cycles. The pumping performance can be influenced by adjustment of the parameters.
The micropumps are capable of moving liquids with particles up to 50 µm. The smaller the particles the less risk of blockage. Depending on the particle material the particle load has influence. The higher the load the higher the risk of blockage. Blood particles are squishy and deformable which is not as problematic as for instance hard glass particles. Fibres are the most problematic particles as they easily get stuck.
If particles clog the pump different effects can be possible:
- Pump rate may go down a bit with particles ladden media (based on liquid experiments), but this doesn’t need to indicate a possible blockage.
- Partly blockage is present if the flow decreases further and does not recover when a media with no particles is pumped.
- Severe blockage is present if flow and pressure generation is very low and cannot be regained.
It may be possible to clean the pump by pumping liquid for some time (TBD). However, if blocking particles can be rinsed out depends on the particles and the liquid as well as the kind of blockage. Fibres are nearly impossible to remove, same applies for very large particles.
The main causes for breakdown for long running times are the piezoceramic of the actuators and clogging of the fluidic path. Clogging can be avoided by filtering. The piezoceramic can be damaged by recurring voltage/current-spikes. So if the switch-on and switch-off action is done properly, i.e. without any voltage/current-spikes of the driving signal, the actuator will survive. If not, the piezoceramic will be damaged and the performance of the micropump will decrease.
Liquids: The maximum fluidic power is generated by a pump when operating it at half of the maximum flow rate and half of the maximum back pressure. Therefore, these operating conditions will be considered in the following:
Operating the mp6 micro pump with water at its maximum fluidic power, this equals a flow rate Q of 3,5 ml/min and a pressure p of 300 mbar. Multiplying flow rate and pressure yields a fluidic power of 1,76 mW. Assuming a total capacitance of 16 nF for the pump piezos, a maximum driving voltage of 250 V and a driving frequency of 100 Hz the electrical power consumption of the pump is 50 mW. This equals a pump efficiency of about 3,5 %.
Gases: Operating the mp6-gas micro pump with air at its maximum fluidic power this equals a flow rate Q of 10 ml/min and a pressure p of 50 mbar. Multiplying flow rate and pressure yields a fluidic power of 0,75 mW. Assuming a total capacitance of 16 nF for the pump piezos, a maximum driving voltage of 250 V and a driving frequency of 300 Hz the electrical power consumption of the pump is 150 mW. This equals a pump efficiency of about 0,5 %.
All wetted materials inside the standard mp6 are PPSU. Please note that the mp6 is made with material of two grades of PPSU; natural-transparent (Radel R-5000 NT) and black (Radel R-5100 BK 937).
The approximate volumes are the following:
| mp6 | |
| max. pump stroke
(100 Hz, 250 V, SRS) |
~ 1.6 µl |
| dead volume
(100 Hz, 250 V, SRS) |
~ 3.5 µl |
| total inner volume | ~ 27 µl |
A Pressure reservoir could be set to contain overpressure or vacuum. A valve would then be the required precise tool letting the vacuum or overpressure gain access to the test tubing. Two 2/2 valves or one 3/2 valve would be used to apply vacuum or overpressure to the test tubing.
The general work process of such a device would consist of:
1) The pump(s) building up pressure/vacuum. A pressure sensor would be used for loop control.
2) Once pressure is at desired level the valve(s) can be activated.
3) Valve(s) would be activated and would release the pressure/vacuum to push/suck liquid in/out of the test tubing.
Benfits of this approach:
- The pump(s) would only work sporadically, resulting in:
- lower energy consumption,
- no constant noise,
- no “on-demand-high-precision” pump action,
- higher overall pump life expectation.
- Pressure/vacuum reservoir: The size of the reservoir can handle multiple “analysis runs” with high repeatability
Drawbacks:
- More technical effort is required (pressure reservoir, sensors, valve for closed loop operation)
Yes, the mp6 micropump can generate a negative pressure/ vacuum. The pump is restricted to roughly – 100 mbar.
The mp6-series micropumps always work corresponding to the pump curve, which is based on the maximum flowrate (at zero pressure) and the maximum pressure (at zero flowrate). The curve of pressure and flowrate combinations that are directly achievable with the mp6 micropump is a straight line between these two values, it depends on further components within the fluidic system. When the pump is running and the outlet is closed so that no flow rate is possible the pump will generate the max pressure. When the outlet is open the pump can achieve the max flow rate. If there is a back pressure on the outlet, the flow rate is reduced by this. Note that each tubing and component connected to the pumps fluidic system will have an own fluidic resistance (like electrical resistors in an electric circuits), which can be compared to a certain back pressure, and the max flow rate is slightly reduced.
Same applies to a pressure on the inlet.
With forward pressure the pump is not reduced in performance and can add its flow rate to the pressure induced flow rate.
In case that the inlet has a negative pressure like a slight vacuum, the pump would be reduced a bit as it has to overcome this before a flow rate is realized. Thus, a negative inlet pressure can be compared to a backpressure on the outlet.
An additional thing to know is that the pump is designed fluidically open, that means liquid can pass the pump due to differential pressure. In forward direction this is easy as the internal pump valves open. In reverse direction there is a leak flow, as the pump valves are not completely tight. If you want to prevent back flow we recommend using a checkvalve like our mp-cv.
At the moment we don’t have a valve that prevents flow in forward direction, as this requires a certain opening pressure of the valve, but we are currently in the process of designing one.
However, with such a valve the pump needs to open the valve first, i.e. create some pressure which will reduce the max flow rate, before a resulting flow can happen.
If your current application is sensitive to the existing inlet pressure, it is always possible to compensate the pump by decreasing the amplitude a bit.
Here you can find a diagramm for the flow rate behaviour of the mp6 micropump with viscosity over frequency.
Please find here an example for lower flow rates which were generated with the mp-Lowdriver and the mp6 micropump.
Electronics
One big advantage of the mp-Labtronix controller is the possibility to set the whole range and combinations of all parameters:
Frequency: 1 – 300 Hz,
Amplitude: 1 – 250 Vpp; asymmetric
Three different wave forms: Sine, Rectangular, SRS
Using liquids, the signal form SRS should be used, a good starting point is 250V amplitude and 100 Hz frequency. For high viscous liquids, frequencies below 100 Hz are preferred, while for gases the frequency ranges above 100 Hz provide the best results. The optimal frequency needs to be determined individually. If the application is very sensitive to noise, the sine signal should be used instead.
The pump cable has to be inserted with the contact surfaces orientated down into the plug. Both components are firmly connected by closing the white plug. When disconnecting the pump, the board connector must first be opened! Verify yourself that the board connector is always locked before start running the pump. Otherwise, this will lead to a malfunction of the pump or the electronics. For more information, please refer to the mp6 data sheet.
The controllers mp-Highdriver, mp-Lowdriver, mp-Driver and mp-Labtronix from Bartels Mikrotechnik are optimized for driving a single mp6 pump. The mp-Highdriver4 allows controlling up to four mp6 micropumps up to a frequency of 800 Hz. For evaluation purpose, the mp-Multiboard2 can be used and is able to implement up to three of the driver chips, to give an easy set up to test the micropumps and the driver chips. With this opportunity you can run up to 6 micropumps with one mp-Multiboard2. If you want to use more mp-Multiboard2 with one Laptop you are free of doing so, as long as you have enough ports available.
For serial applications we offer customized electronics that can be tailored to the customers’ requirements. Please contact us for more details.
In general both parameters can be used. As lower amplitudes lead to lower compression in the pump chamber, it is better to do fewer large pump strokes over time. Therefore, try to work at a high amplitude level and decrease the frequency until you reach the required flow rate level. In case the flow pulsation is too high, the amplitude should be lowered and frequency increased.
- The mp-Lowdriver generates only sine and a customized signal form.
- The mp-Highdriver and the mp-Highdriver4 generate different signal forms: sine, rectangular and other.
- The mp-Driver generates a SRS signal.
- The signal form for the mp-Multiboard2 depends on the used driverchip.
- The mp-Labtronix controller generates three different signal forms: SRS, Sine, Rectangular.
The SRS signal is an optimized waveform generated by the mp-Labtronix controller to drive the actuator more efficiently. It makes the pump work at a lower sound level with increased long-term stability of the flow rate. The SRS signal is used as the standard driving waveform.
Driving the micropump with the mp-Labtronix allows you to gather comprehensive results in short time. You will also be able to consider the sometimes complex interaction of micro- and macrofluidics with direct measurements of your system right from the beginning. Furthermore you will also be able to conclude about how to integrate the micropump into any of your systems.
For that purpose you can connect the mp-Labtronix via USB-port with a PC, manually control it with the NI‑LabView interface and turn it into a fully automatized control. Experiments with systems in which pressure-, flow- or other –sensors gather additional data are easily achievable. You can start with basic LabView routines that we implemented already for you.
Independent of the NI‑LabView develop environment you can choose every other computer language that can handle the communication with an emulated serial interface.
The pump can work even well below 1Hz (if necessary) but not every Bartels driver does support it.
The mp-Labtronix controller has a frequency range of 1-300 Hz. The mp-Highdriver4 and the mp-Highdriver have a lower frequency limit of 50 Hz. This cannot be disabled or changed. The mp-Lowdriver has a typical frequency range of 8-2000 Hz, but these Bartels electronic can work at 1 Hz as well, but each electronic just can control one micropump.
All our products, which we are producing in-house are available in our Online-Shop. We are offering in € and in $.
All other components can also be requested via our Mail or our contact form.
The optimum frequency should be selected based on the medium: 100 Hz for water, 300Hz or higher for gases, 50Hz or lower for oils. Thereafter, the position of the working line of the pump (straight line from maximum pressure to maximum flow) depends on the used amplitude and shifts almost parallel to the origin when it is reduced. Since the operation with gases is more flexible, both amplitude and frequency can be used to control the flow rate (and pressure). The actual flow rate always depends on the working line and the existing backpressure in the system. The value pair of flow and pressure is always on the working line which is conditional to the selected operating parameters (frequency and amplitude).
You can find all information on our drivers in the electronics data sheet.
Everything needed is supplied by the electronic controllers offered by Bartels Mikrotechnik. The combination of signal, amplitude and frequency defines the performance of the micropump.
For quick starting with the micropumps, the evaluation board mp-Multiboard2 offers flexibility via an ESP32 controller and comes with an easy user interface and the opportunity to get access for testing all four different driver chips offered by Bartels Mikrotechnik.
For integration purposes in mobile devices, in devices of small construction sizes and generally onto PCBs of any kind, the OEM driver chips mp-Highdriver, mp-Lowdriver, mp-Highdriver4 and mp-Driver were designed to offer most of the functionality required to drive the micropumps.
For laboratory applications, there is the extended micropump control mp-Labtronix. It is able to drive one micropump mp6-liq, mp6-gas or mp6-gas+ with different driving signals, the full range of amplitude and frequency manipulation and has an USB interface.
The pump can work even well below 1Hz (if necessary) but not every Bartels driver supports it. The mp-Labtronix controller has a frequency range of 1-300 Hz. The mp-Highdriver4 and the mp-Highdriver have a lower frequency limit of 50 Hz. This cannot be disabled or changed. The mp-Lowdriver has a typical frequency range of 8-2000 Hz.
The mp6 micropump series can be controlled with alternating voltages at a maximum amplitude of 250 V and frequencies between 0 and 800 Hz. A rectangular signal results in best fluidic performance, while a sine wave minimizes the audible noise. The mp6 micropumps contain two actuators. This means that two signals with 180° phase shift need to be applied. A single pump equals a capacitive load of 2 x 8 nF.
Maximum ratings:
Voltage amplitude Vpp (not RMS): 250 Vpp
Maximum negative voltage swing: -50 V
Frequency: 300 Hz
If a pump gets damaged while using a customers’ controller we do not provide any warranty. For evaluation, we recommend the use of our dedicated controllers. Based on the evaluation results we can develop a specific controller for your application. Please contact us.
The mp-Multiboard can drive up to four micropumps with only one driver plugged in at a time. The mp-Multiboard2 can drive up to six pumps and you can use differnet drivers at the same time, e.g. you can attach a mp-Highdriver4, a mp-Lowdriver and a mp-Driver at the same time. Other than that, we upgraded the Micro-Controller to an ESP32 to make the mp-Multiboard2 also applicable for wireless use, like Bluetooth. And we changed the external power supply to a USB-C connector. That way, if you wanted a mobile setup, you can use a power bank to supply the board instead of the previously used DC Connector. The Multiboard2 will also be developed and worked on even further giving it even more features in future.
Applications/ Case studys
The case study “Characterization of mp6-micropump-driven vibrating meshes” compares different types of vibrating meshes. It shows which one works best with specific applications and how to connect them with the mp6 micropump. You can also take a look at our video to learn more.
Please find here our case study for the mp6 micropump driven vibrating meshes:
Our case study “Active sensor feeding with micropumps” explains how you can integrate a CO2 sensor in your microfluidic system. It also discusses why active fluidic systems work better than passive ones with air analysis.
Please find here our case study for active sensor feeding with micropumps:
Our case study “Droplet generation with the mp6 micropump and microfluidic chips” discusses how you can generate microscopic droplets in a microfluidic system. Many different applications are droplet-based. Check out our case study and the corresponding video explaining how to set up a droplet generation system.
Please find here our case study for droplet generation with micropumps:
The case study “Controlled Dosing of Water based Liquids with the mp6 micropump” gives you a great overview over the general dosing of liquids and mixtures. It features some general information about microfluidics as well as more specific applications for the mp6 micropump.
Please find here our case study for Dosing with micropumps:
Our case study “Optimized liquid pumping by pump-parameter matching (sensor-enabled media recognition)” explains how you can identify liquids. We use a sensor that measures the thermal conductivity of liquids and mixtures. That way, you can easily identify liquids without the need for separate systems or sample. Also, check out our video about thermal conductivity.
Please find here our case study for thermal conductivity with micropumps:
The case study “Self-sustaining pressure-driven flow in microfluidics” shows you a specific way of pumping liquids. Since the system works with air pressure, only a select few components come in direct contact with the liquid. This is an easy and cost-efficient way to transport expensive or sensitive liquids. We also created a video showing this system with pressure-driven flow.
Please find here our case study for active sensor feeding with micropumps:
Our case study “Characterization of mp6-micropump-driven vibrating meshes” takes a closer look into very, very low flow rates. This is needed for highly viscose liquids that are otherwise not suitable for microfluidic systems.
Please find here our case study for the mp6 micropump with nano dispensing:
When analysing cell growth, it is essential to observe carbon dioxide levels. Additionally, when ambient pollution has to be measured, volatile organic compound (VOC) sensors are used.
That is why we worked on a Case Study specific for the use of VOC and CO2 sensors in microfluidic systems:
Detection of VOC gases and CO2 by active sample delivery via micropump
Quality
The mp6 micropumps have been tested running at humidities from 95% to ~10%. These shortterm tests can not give hints regarding long-term usage, as water can appear at electric connections inside Molex connector and beneath the lid where the actuators are.
If you allow for a drying step (time unknown) of attached liquid after extreme humidity storage, the pump should be fine afterwards.
Yes it is possible with the following methods:
- autoclavation
- EtO
- alcohol (Ethanol)
- e-beam radiation
- gamma radiation
We are providing our testing and measurement equipment data setups on request, allowing to test and evaluate the micropumps in the same way as at our product release test.
When selecting sensors, please be aware, whatever sensor you apply, make certain to have the correct frequency level of detection for your data receiver (PC or other), otherwise the frequency generated by the micropumps might lead you to misinformation due to statistical errors.
As data logging software, National Instruments “LabView” is recommended in order to control devices, read out sensors, calculate and display graphs of sensor data and store them in text, data or excel-files. Here it will be necessary to generate code with LabView. It is a graphical coding in-terface where you place icons and connection lines on the screen, so the code will not have to be typed. LabView is very customizable. Interface hardware form National Instruments will be re-quired to receive sensor data with a PC.
We guarantee a lifetime of minimum 5.000 continuous working hours under lab conditions for the micropump mp6 series (>10.000 hours have been achieved without any notable failures). These values have been achieved by using a micropump from the mp6 series tested with the mp-Labtronix controller at 250 Vpp, 100 Hz for liquids and 300 Hz for gases and SRS signal. Even if we have reached more than 10.000 hours the warranty period of 5.000 hours has to be shared in this form, as the piezo supplier just guarantees this value.
For information: The main causes for breakdown for long running times are the piezoceramic of the actuators and clogging of the fluidic path. Clogging can be avoided by filtering. The piezo elements can be damaged by recurring voltage/current-spikes. If the switch-on and switch-off action is done properly, i.e. without any voltage/current-spikes of the driving signal, the actuator will remain intact.
All our products, which we are producing in-house are available in our Online-Shop. We are offering in € and in $.
All other components can also be requested via our Mail or our contact form.
All our mp6 micropumps were 100 % tested. They have to pass a final inspection before delivery.
All wetted materials inside the standard mp6 are PPSU. Please note that the mp6 is made with material of two grades of PPSU; natural-transparent (Radel R-5000 NT) and black (Radel R-5100 BK 937).
Evaluation kits
Evaluation kits
- With the mp-basic kit you receive all components you need to test our mp6 micropump. Thanks to the mp-Multiboard2 and the corresponding software, you can test our micropump directly in your system.
- The mp-advance kit connects our mp6 micropump with flow sensors, pressure sensors, active valves or microfluidic chips. Now you can build and test an active microfluidic system including controlling software with our micropump.
- The mp-Lab! kit goes into more detail. With the laboratory electronic mp-Labtronix you act comfortably in laboratory applications for the micropump, but also for intensive test series.
Function kits
- With the cell culturing kit you receive all the components you need to go forward to move you cells in your system. Now you can easiy use the mp6 micropumps to avoid the manual handling of cell culturing.
All our products, which we are producing in-house are available in our Online-Shop. We are offering in € and in $.
All other components can also be requested via our Mail or our contact form.