Investigations on the performance of a newly developed pressure-driven flow controller used in microfluidic applications

This paper gives an overview of investigations with a newly developed pressure-driven flow controller, which has no mechanical components and can therefore provide pulsation-free flows. The performance of the pressure-driven flow controller is compared with high-precision syringe pumps used as reference systems in most laboratories and National Metrology Institutes. The results show an astonishing performance of the pressure-driven flow controller, but also a strong dependence on the associated flow sensor. In contrast to a high-precision syringe pump, the system with a flow sensor is much more dependent on fluid properties, pressure and temperature. However, the strength of the pressure-driven flow controller lies in rapid flow changes and flow stability. Here the system gives excellent results. Another advantage of the system is that direct access to pressure values makes it easy to measure hydrodynamic resistances, which are important for lab-on-a-chip and organ-on-a-chip applications.