Flow rate analysis of a surface tension driven passive micropump

Abstract

A microfluidic passive pumping method relying on surface tension properties is investigated and a physical model is developed. When a small inlet drop is placed on the entrance of a microfluidic channel it creates more pressure than a large output drop at the channel exit, causing fluid flow. The behavior of the input drop occurs in two characteristic phases. An analytical solution is proposed and verified by experimental results. We find that during the first phase the flow rate is stable and that this phase can be prolonged by refilling the inlet drop to produce continuous flow in the microchannel.