This paper reports on the fabrication and experimental characterisation of improved design AC eletroosmotic micropumps. Since the first study and analysis of AC electroosmosis by Ramos et al. [1], many devices have been fabricated and tested [2]. The basic planar electrode design was improved and increased pumping velocities were measured. Among the proposed improvements, 3D electrode design se...

The hydrodynamic problem of electroosmotic flow in a cylindrical capillary with random zeta potential is solved in the limit of small Deybe length and low Reynolds number. Averages are defined over multiple experiments and the mean axial velocity is found to be a plug flow. The variance of the velocity exhibits parabolic-like variation across the capillary. Average concentrations of samples tra...

A theoretical model of the EOF established in a wide capillary after the application of a stepwise voltage has been developed. Both periodical and aperiodical flow regimes were studied with arbitrary pulse/pulse or pulse/pause durations and amplitudes. The numerical analysis performed for a few types of periodical regimes showed the peculiarities of the profiles of liquid velocity and its displ...

Experimental velocity measurements are conducted in an AC electrokinetic DNA concentrator. The DNA concentrator is based upon Wong et al. (Transducers 2003, Boston, pp 20–23, 2003a; Anal Chem 76(23):6908–6914, 2004)and consists of two concentric electrodes that generate AC electroosmotic flow to stir the fluid, and dielectrophoretic and electrophoretic force fields that trap DNA near the centre...

Electroosmotic flow (EOF) pumps with flow rates on the order of 1 ml/min have been designed and fabricated. These pumps use EOF to propel liquid solutions in a compact system with no moving parts. The pumping chamber is filled with densely packed non-porous silica particles, and the particle bed is held in place using two polymeric porous frits. The pump frame is made of acrylic, the frits are ...

An analytical model for electroosmotic flow rate, total pump current, and thermodynamic efficiency reported in a previous paper has been applied as a design guideline to fabricate porous-structure EO pumps. We have fabricated sintered-glass EO pumps that provide maximum flow rates and pressure capacities of 33 ml/min and 1.3 atm, respectively, at applied potential 100 V. These pumps are designe...