Microfluidics - µCHEMS
Fluidic Microprocessor
The newly developed concept of microchemomechanical systems (µCHEMS) is based on the unique properties of intrinsically active polymers. These polymers change their state in response to chemical information (in the simplest case in the presence of a fluid), and thus combine sensor and actuator capabilities in a single component and can, for example, be used as valves, pumps or mechanical or chemical transistors.The special properties of the material base allows to integrate all functionalities necessary to operate a microfluidic processor - including energy supply, control and actuation unit - directly onto the microchemomechanical chip.
Closing Valves
In contrast to microelectromechanichal Systems (MEMS), additional peripheral equipment can be dispensed with. A fully assembled µCHMS therefore is able to execute even highly complex processes completely energy self-sufficient and self-controlled.
Opening Valves
However, the concept of µCHMS not only allows to build self-sufficient chemical microprocessors containing hundreds of active elements, but also opens up the possibility to realize processors equipped with a decision-making chemical information processing unit.
Mechanical Chemostat
LITERATURE
A. Richter, J. Wenzel, K. Kretschmer
Mechanically adjustable chemostats based on stimuli-responsive polymers
Sens. Actuat. B 125 (2007), 569-573 DOI
A. Richter, S. Howitz , D. Kuckling, K.-F. Arndt
Influence of phenomena of volume phase transition at the behavior of hydrogel based valves
Sens. Actuat. B 99/2-3 (2004), 451-458 DOI
K.-F. Arndt, D. Kuckling, A. Richter
Application of Sensitive Hydrogels in Flow Control
Polym. Adv. Techn. 11 (2000), 496-505 DOI
R. Greiner, M. Allerdißen, A. Voigt, A. Richter
Fluidic microchemomechanical integrated circuits processing chemical information
Lab Chip, DOI:10.1039/C2LC40617A Abstract, PDF