Melt polymer drawn single and multi-capillary fibre-based electroosmotic pumps

Abstract Microfluidic devices have been employed in micro-analytical systems and microelectronics using inexpensive, customisable fluid-handling automation at the microliter scale. Here we utilise a well-established fibre drawing technique, which offers range of materials capillary conformations, that can be utilized within microfluidic to control fluid movement via electroosmotic processes produce simple pump (EOP). Single EOPs were fabricated from drawn PU fibres with internal diameters ranging 73 200 µm shown capable actively transporting buffer solution an external driving electric potential. A maximum flow rate 0.8 ± 0.1 μL/min was achieved for 2 diameter applied potential 750 V/cm. This successfully increased up 5.3 0.3 by multi-capillary array consisting 4, 5 7 capillaries.