A Simple Approach for Controlling an Open-Source Syringe Pump

Abstract

Precise control of fluid flows in microfluidic applications is crucial for various applications in lab-on-a-chip and point-of-care diagnostics. Standard bench-top equipment for providing this capability are syringe pumps. However, high cost of these systems limit their availability in low resourced laboratories. There are various open-sourced alternative syringe pump systems that can be fabricated and assembled using 3D printing, but they lack versatile control and flow rate characterization that are required for microfluidic applications. We report a simple and cost-effective approach to control an open-source multi-channel syringe pump. Simultaneous and adjustable flow control, and detailed characterization of the volume flow rates for different syringe volumes are also demonstrated.

Keywords

• syringe pump
• microfluidics
• flow control
• flow profile
• microcontroller

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