TY - JOUR
T1 - An active valve incorporated into a microchip using a high strain electroactive polymer
AU - Tanaka, Yo
AU - Fujikawa, Tomohiro
AU - Kazoe, Yutaka
AU - Kitamori, Takehiko
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors are grateful for financial support from a JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A) ( 21681019 ), Challenging Exploratory Research grants ( 21056049 and 23651133 ), and a Specially Promoted Research grant ( 21000007 ). The authors also thank Mr. Yoshikuni Kikutani of IMT Co. Ltd., Japan, and Dr. Hiroki Ueda of RIKEN, Japan for useful discussions.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Recently, various kinds of microvalves have been developed in the field of micro total analysis systems. Most are pneumatic or piezo electric valves, which require significant space on a microchip and hence make the system complicated. This study reports the use of an electroactive polymer-based microvalve that occupies only a small space on a microchip. An electroactive polymer membrane sandwiched between soft electrode sheets was placed on a dome-shaped diaphragm. The polymer actuator was installed in a glass microchip and the valve function was demonstrated. First, the displacement of the diaphragm was measured without fluid, and sufficient displacement (over 50 μm) was obtained for valve closing. Second, flow in a linear microchannel was stopped and then restarted by the valve. The flow in the microchannel produced by the constant pressure from a microfluidic controller (1.0 kPa) was completely stopped by applying a 50 V/μm electric field. This valve functioned well at pressures up to 4.0 kPa. The response time was about 0.7 s, similar to the time required for piezo electric actuator valves in channels of this size. This type of valve is very suitable for portable devices filed because of its compactness.
AB - Recently, various kinds of microvalves have been developed in the field of micro total analysis systems. Most are pneumatic or piezo electric valves, which require significant space on a microchip and hence make the system complicated. This study reports the use of an electroactive polymer-based microvalve that occupies only a small space on a microchip. An electroactive polymer membrane sandwiched between soft electrode sheets was placed on a dome-shaped diaphragm. The polymer actuator was installed in a glass microchip and the valve function was demonstrated. First, the displacement of the diaphragm was measured without fluid, and sufficient displacement (over 50 μm) was obtained for valve closing. Second, flow in a linear microchannel was stopped and then restarted by the valve. The flow in the microchannel produced by the constant pressure from a microfluidic controller (1.0 kPa) was completely stopped by applying a 50 V/μm electric field. This valve functioned well at pressures up to 4.0 kPa. The response time was about 0.7 s, similar to the time required for piezo electric actuator valves in channels of this size. This type of valve is very suitable for portable devices filed because of its compactness.
KW - Dome shape structure
KW - Electroactive polymer
KW - Microfluidic device
KW - Microvalve
KW - Portable device
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U2 - 10.1016/j.snb.2013.04.025
DO - 10.1016/j.snb.2013.04.025
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84877996880
SN - 0925-4005
VL - 184
SP - 163
EP - 169
JO - Sensors and Actuators, B: Chemical
JF - Sensors and Actuators, B: Chemical
ER -