LAUSR.org creates dashboard-style pages of related content for over 1.5 million academic articles. Sign Up to like articles & get recommendations!

Normally closed plunger-membrane microvalve self-actuated electrically using a shape memory alloy wire

Photo from wikipedia

Various microfluidic architectures designed for in vivo and point-of-care diagnostic applications require larger channels, autonomous actuation, and portability. In this paper, we present a normally closed microvalve design capable of… Click to show full abstract

Various microfluidic architectures designed for in vivo and point-of-care diagnostic applications require larger channels, autonomous actuation, and portability. In this paper, we present a normally closed microvalve design capable of fully autonomous actuation for wide diameter microchannels (tens to hundreds of µm). We fabricated the multilayer plunger-membrane valve architecture using the silicone elastomer, poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and optimized it to reduce the force required to open the valve. A 50-µm Nitinol (NiTi) shape memory alloy wire is incorporated into the device and can operate the valve when actuated with 100-mA current delivered from a 3-V supply. We characterized the valve for its actuation kinetics using an electrochemical assay and tested its reliability at 1.5-s cycle duration for 1 million cycles during which we observed no operational degradation.

Keywords: plunger membrane; normally closed; shape memory; alloy wire; memory alloy

Journal Title: Microfluidics and Nanofluidics
Year Published: 2018

Link to full text (if available)


Share on Social Media:                               Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!

Related content

More Information              News              Social Media              Video              Recommended



                Click one of the above tabs to view related content.