Micropump having a constant output
First Claim
1. A micropump comprising a plurality of wafers sealed to one another so as to form a pumping chamber defined by two bonded wafers defining a cavity formed by etching at least one of said bonded wafers, at least one inlet valve and at lest one outlet valve enabling the pumping chamber to communicate with one inlet channel and one outlet channel respectively, said micropump also comprising a control element arranged to resiliently displace a part of one of said bonded wafers constituting a flexible wall of the pumping chamber between a first position in which said flexible wall is relatively far from an opposing wall of the pumping chamber when said control element is not active and a second position in which said flexible wall is closer to said opposing wall when said control element is active, the displacements of said flexible wall causing suction of a fluid into the pumping chamber or the delivery thereof, and said pumping chamber comprising a stop means which defines said second position of said flexible wall.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A micropump comprising a pumping chamber, an inlet channel communicating with the pumping chamber by an inlet valve and an outlet channel communicating with the pumping chamber via an outlet valve, these elements being manufactured by etching a silicon wafer is then sealed to glass wafers, the micropump also comprising a piezoelectric wafer to vary the volume of the pumping chamber by bending a wall forming part of the wall of this pumping chamber. In accordance with the invention the pumping chamber has a stop which determines the amplitude of movement of the flexible wall. The variation in the volume of the chamber caused by the displacement of the flexible wall is precisely defined, thus making it possible to maintain the output of the micropump constant during normal operating conditions.
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Citations
21 Claims
- 1. A micropump comprising a plurality of wafers sealed to one another so as to form a pumping chamber defined by two bonded wafers defining a cavity formed by etching at least one of said bonded wafers, at least one inlet valve and at lest one outlet valve enabling the pumping chamber to communicate with one inlet channel and one outlet channel respectively, said micropump also comprising a control element arranged to resiliently displace a part of one of said bonded wafers constituting a flexible wall of the pumping chamber between a first position in which said flexible wall is relatively far from an opposing wall of the pumping chamber when said control element is not active and a second position in which said flexible wall is closer to said opposing wall when said control element is active, the displacements of said flexible wall causing suction of a fluid into the pumping chamber or the delivery thereof, and said pumping chamber comprising a stop means which defines said second position of said flexible wall.
Specification