Overcoming syringe pumps’ performance while ensuring contamination-free experiments

Pressure-based controllers as the gold standard for accurate liquid control and automation

A stable and precise flow rate is often a prerequisite in microfluidic and millifluidic applications. As an example, for dynamic microfluidic cell culture precise control of flow-induced shear stress (also called shear flow) is important as it impacts cell parameters. When generating microfluidic droplets, a stable flow rate ensures homogeneous droplet sizes.

When integrating OEM flow control components into Diagnostic or Life Sciences systems based on microfluidic technologies, OEM syringe pumps are widely used. OEM pressure-driven flow controllers were developed to eliminate syringe pumps’ inherent limitations on flow precision, accuracy, and response time and to improve fluid control automation. Fluigent pressure-based flow controllers show improved performance both in terms of stability (0.1 % of full-scale CV) and response time (< 1 s to reach the ordered flow rate), which cannot be achieved by the most precise syringe pumps on the market (see figure below).?

For ensuring the good functioning of a fluidic protocol, a microfluidic flow sensor can be added, permitting flow/volume monitoring, or protocol failure identification and prevention. Flow sensors are also useful with pressure controllers to create a “feedback loop” system, where the flow rate is regulated through pressure. Fluigent offers pressure-based flow rate regulation thanks to its patented “self-learning” algorithm, allowing to adjusting of the flow rate while an experiment is running to control the sample volume dispensed and/or the sample flow rate.

See our dedicated webpage for more information on the different sensing technologies used in microfluidics here.

With the growth of biological applications that make use of microfluidics such as microfluidic dynamic cell culture, organoids, or organs on chips, the need for a fully sterile, and disposable environment on the fluidic line is intensely growing. Sterility and disposability should be considered when selecting reservoirs/syringes, tubing, inline flow sensors, and analytical elements (flow cell, microfluidic cartridge or chip).

Providing high-performance pressure-based flow rate control on fully sterile environments

Today’s Fluigent standard OEM pressure-based flow control solution, which consists of a high-precision pressure controller (Fluigent PX or F-OEM) and a Non-Invasive Flow Sensor, brings excellent flow rate regulation without needing for elements on the fluidic path or fluid calibration. Using pressure, no mechanical parts are in contact with liquids. The NIFS allows contactless live flow rate monitoring and regulation. Sterile reservoirs and tubing are fully compatible with our systems.

This unique system combination brings Fluigent one step ahead of other microfluidic pressure-driven flow control providers as well as OEM syringe pumps suppliers.

Fluigent has developed a one-of-a-kind sensor that measures the fluidic flow rate by determining the gas flow rate at the outlet of our pressure controller. It is non-contact with liquids, making it fully compatible with sterility needs.?

More information about the NIFS HERE.