Jose,

Read through some of the papers in the journal "Lab on a Chip." You'll find
most systems use pressure driven flow unless there¹s a good reason to do
otherwise. This is either done with a syringe and stepper motor, or gravity
(if a very smooth flow is needed). I would suggest not getting more
³imaginative² with this than is necessary, as simple pressure driven flow
can be annoying enough to implement well. :-)

Also, if this is a 3-side PDMS, 1-side glass chip, avoid electroosmotic flow
unless whatever you're doing can tolerate a lot of dispersion. You'll have
different rates on the PDMS and glass walls, and the flow rate on the PDMS
walls will vary based on how long it's been since they've been oxidized.

You might want to check out these two short articles for some advice on PDMS
interconnects for pressure-driven flow:

http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/Journals/lc/Chips_and_Tips/integrated_reservoirs.a
sp
http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/Journals/lc/Chips_and_Tips/nanoport_bonding.asp


Kevin Paul Nichols
MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology
Mesoscale Chemical Systems
Meander 151
University of Twente
Postbus 217
7500 AE Enschede
The Netherlands

Office: +31 (0)53 489 26 31
Mobile: +31 (0)6 49 312 471
Fax   : +31 (0)53 489 35 95
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Web   : http://mcs.tnw.utwente.nl/


> From: Jose Guevarra 
> Reply-To: , General MEMS discussion
> 
> Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:39:48 -0400
> To: 
> Subject: [mems-talk] thermally driven flow in microfluidic channel
>
> Hi,
>
> I have a sheathed flow in a PDMS microchannel which will be bonded above
> a glass substrate.  What are some traditional ways of actuating the flow
> within the channel?
>
> I was thinking of using a syringe but, I'd like to get a little more
> imaginative than that. Perhaps thermal and maybe electroosmotic.
>
> Can anyone point me to some detailed setups that have worked?