Abstract:
This research work focuses on the development of high-performance capillary pumps
for low-cost point-of-care diagnostic devices using printed circuit board (PCB) technology.
The study explores the design and fabrication of capillary pumps using PCBs and
polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to create microfluidic devices. Two different designs of PCBbased micropumps with hexagonal-shaped micropillars are proposed, offering different vertical
distances between rows to achieve varying flow rates and fluid volumes. The fabrication
process involves designing the PCB microchannel, cutting the PCB fiber sheet, creating silicon
molds, pouring and curing PDMS, bonding the PDMS replicas to a substrate, and testing the
micropump's performance for both the designs. Experimental setups are established to measure
the flow rate and pressure drop of various glycerin ratio solutions in the microfluidic system.
The results indicate that as the glycerin content increases, the flow rate decreases due to
increased fluid viscosity. Design 1 consistently exhibits higher flow rates than Design 2 due to
the smaller gap distance between micropillars. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of
PCB-based capillary pumps in controlling fluid flow and offer valuable insights for the
development of low-cost point-of-care diagnostic devices. The design of micropumps for
studying blood flow at low flow rates offers significant advantages in investigating bloodrelated conditions. The precise control overflow rates, realistic simulations, integration with
microfluidic systems, drug delivery studies, and reduced sample requirements all contribute to
a deeper understanding of blood disorders and the development of personalized treatment
approaches
