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No external power required other than human-power, no electricity is required, it is a smaller device profile and has simple implementation.
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Summary Currently, pressure pumps for specific microfluidics require electrical power. This can be a serious limitations in field-work devices where power can be intermittent or completely lacking. Further, the complexity of powered systems can lead to breakdowns, and require considerable space in systems which benefit from a smaller profile. In response to these challenges, investigators at University of California at Berkeley have developed versatile ‘human-powered’ microfluidic pumps. These pumps serve as a modular element to provide pressure head for a variety of microfluidic systems. The investigators have achieved (1) human finger as the pumping actuation force, (2) pumping without using any electricity, (3) integrated pump with a passive safety valve and two one-way valves, and (4) successful demonstration in delivering fluids/particles into a microfluidic chip. For the first time, we have demonstrated that measured pressure head by a human finger was between 3-4kPa, which is sufficient to power fluids for various microfluidic applications, such as point-of-care diagnostics.