SMFA - Smart Micro Fluidic Actuator
Research Task/Objectives
In the medical field micropumps play an important role. The motivation is particularly given by the increasing automatization of laboratory tests and application of the so-called “Point-of-Care Diagnostic”, that is diagnostic testing at or near to the patient. Because of the high requirements involved with respect to the functionality, dosing accuracy, integrability in the system, media compatibility and durability, alternative actuation concepts become more important. Especially magnetic shape memory (MSM) alloys provide interesting features for the usage in the medical technology. Besides the unidirectional work, it is possible to create a moving wave at the MSM-surface generated by moving magnetic field (e.g. realized by a rotating permanent magnet). First approaches to use this actuation principle for a micropump already exist. Hence, the aim of the project is the development of a competitive micropump based on an MSM-actuator with the character of a travelling wave.
Approach/Results
An important aspect of the project is the collaboration of six partners of industry and science, contributed in all steps of the value chain. The subproject of the chair „Pumpentechnik und deren Skalierbarkeit“ includes the development of the pump technology from the conceptual design to the construction and manufacturing of a functional prototype of the micropump. This involves a precise adaption of the magnetic circuit and the fluid stage on the hysteretic behaviour of the MSM material. For this purpose, different numerical simulation tools such as FEM in combination with analytical and empirical approaches are used. Additionaly, the scalability of the pump principle will be proved by testing a functional prototype to reveal the possible area of application.
This research was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Ref. No. 03ZZ1041F). The authors are responsible for the content of this publication.