8.3 FLUID FLOW GENERATION: MICROPUMPS
Pumping is an important functionality that has to be implemented in labs on chip microfluidic circuits. Unless an external hydraulic prevalence is provided, or gravity pushes the fluid down-wards into the circuit, the fluid motion has to be generated by a system internal to the chip. Several principles are available to create micropumps that can be integrated in labs on chip so that a large range of pressures and flow rates can be obtained depending on the application. Several extensive reviews exist on micropump technologies containing a discussion of principles and an extensive bibliography [48, 49, 50].
A first category of micropumps is constituted by mechanical pumps, where the fluid motion is generated ...