Micropump driven by movement of liquid drop induced by continuous electrowetting
First Claim
1. A micropump, comprising:
- a liquid drop sealed in a guide channel filled with electrolyte;
two electrodes, an electrode of the two electrodes located at each end of the guide channel and contacting the electrolyte;
flexible membranes attached to the guide channel and contacting the electrolyte, the flexible membranes isolating the guide channel from a pumped fluid; and
a fluid channel, a part of which is comprised of the flexible membranes that are deflected back and forth by the driving force converted from linear reciprocation motion of the liquid drop based upon a continuous electrowetting phenomenon.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a micropump which is driven by movement of a liquid drop based upon continuous electrowetting actuation. The continuous electrowetting means a phenomenon that the liquid drop moves as the surface tension of the liquid drop is electrically varied in succession. When a tube in which electrolyte and a liquid metal drop are inserted is applied with voltage having periodically changing polarity via metal electrodes, the surface tension of the liquid metal is varied so that the liquid metal drop reciprocates in the tube generating pressure or force, which is used as a driving force of the micropump. The micropump is operated in a low voltage and consumes a small amount of electric power.
122 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A micropump, comprising:
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a liquid drop sealed in a guide channel filled with electrolyte;
two electrodes, an electrode of the two electrodes located at each end of the guide channel and contacting the electrolyte;
flexible membranes attached to the guide channel and contacting the electrolyte, the flexible membranes isolating the guide channel from a pumped fluid; and
a fluid channel, a part of which is comprised of the flexible membranes that are deflected back and forth by the driving force converted from linear reciprocation motion of the liquid drop based upon a continuous electrowetting phenomenon.
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2. A micropump comprising:
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a first component set comprising;
(i) a storage tube, (ii) electrolyte filled into said storage tube, (iii) a liquid drop inserted into said electrolyte, (iv) metal electrodes distanced from both sides of said liquid drop so that said liquid drop reciprocates in said storage tube, (v) a voltage source for applying voltage between said metal electrodes, and (vi) mesh structures arranged between said liquid drop and said metal electrodes to prevent reaction between said liquid drop and said metal electrodes;
flexible membranes blocking both ends of said storage tube;
a fluid-passage tube structure contacting with said flexible membranes to provide a passage through which pumping fluid flows, and having an inlet and an outlet at both ends for introducing and exhausting the pumping fluid; and
at least one check valve arranged in said fluid-passage tube to prevent backflow of the pumping fluid in said fluid-passage tube structure. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A micropump comprising:
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(i) at least two storage tubes;
(ii) electrolyte filled into said storage tubes;
(iii) liquid drops inserted into said electrolyte;
(iv) metal electrodes distanced from both sides of said liquid drops so that said liquid drops reciprocate in said storage tubes;
(v) voltage sources for applying voltage between said metal electrodes;
(vi) mesh structures arranged between said liquid drop and said metal electrodes to prevent reaction between said liquid drop and said metal electrodes;
(vii) flexible membranes blocking both ends of said storage tubes; and
(viii) a fluid-passage tube contacting with said flexible membranes to provide a passage through which pumping fluid flows, having an inlet and an outlet at both ends for introducing and exhausting the pumping fluid, wherein the depth of said fluid-passage tube is so formed that deflection of said flexible membranes shoves the pumping fluid over said membranes while functioning as valves to block the flow of the pumping fluid. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification