Method Article

Three-dimensional Printing of Thermoplastic Materials to Create Automated Syringe Pumps with Feedback Control for Microfluidic Applications

DOI:

10.3791/57532

⸱

August 30th, 2018

 ,  ,  , 
1Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 2Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

* These authors contributed equally

In This Article

Summary

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Here we present a protocol to construct a pressure-controlled syringe pump to be used in microfluidic applications. This syringe pump is made from an additively manufactured body, off-the-shelf hardware, and open-source electronics. The resulting system is low-cost, straightforward to build, and delivers well-regulated fluid flow to enable rapid microfluidic research.

Abstract

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Microfluidics has become a critical tool in research across the biological, chemical, and physical sciences. One important component of microfluidic experimentation is a stable fluid handling system capable of accurately providing an inlet flow rate or inlet pressure. Here, we have developed a syringe pump system capable of controlling and regulating the inlet fluid pressure delivered to a microfluidic device. This system was designed using low-cost materials and additive manufacturing principles, leveraging three-dimensional (3D) printing of thermoplastic materials and off-the-shelf components whenever possible. This system is composed of three main components: a syringe pump, a pressure transducer, and a programmable microcontroller. Within this paper, we detail a set of protocols for fabricating, assembling, and programming this syringe pump system. Furthermore, we have included representative results that demonstrate high-fidelity, feedback control of inlet pressure using this system. We expect this protocol will allow researchers to fabricate low-cost syringe pump systems, lowering the entry barrier for the use of microfluidics in biomedical, chemical, and materials research.

Introduction

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Microfluidic tools have become useful for scientists in biological and chemical research. Due to the low volume utilization, rapid measurement capabilities, and well-defined flow profiles, microfluidics has gained traction in genomic and proteomic research, high-throughput screening, medical diagnostics, nanotechnology, and single-cell analysis1,2,3,4. Furthermore, the flexibility of microfluidic device design readily enables basic science research, such as investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of cultured bacterial colonies

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Protocol

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1. 3D-printing and Assembly of Syringe Pump

  1. Prepare and 3D-print the syringe pump components
    1. Download the .STL design files from the Supplemental Files of this paper.
      NOTE: There are six .STL files, titled 'JoVE_Syringe_Clamp_10mL_Size.stl', 'JoVE_Syringe_Platform.stl', 'JoVE_Syringe_Plunger_Connectors.stl', 'JoVE_Syringe_Pump_End_Stop.stl', 'JoVE_Syringe_Pump_Motor_Connector.stl', and 'JoVE_Syringe_Pump_Traveler_Push.stl', in the Supplemental Files. These files correspond to the 3D-printed components of the syringe pump.
    2. Prepar....

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Results

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Here, we present a protocol for the construction of a feedback-controlled syringe pump system and demonstrate its potential uses for microfluidic applications. Figure 1 shows the connected system of the syringe pump, pressure sensor, microfluidic device, microcontroller, pressure sensor circuit, and stepper motor driver. Detailed callouts for the syringe pump assembly are shown in Figure 2 and the electronic circuit schematic for.......

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Discussion

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Here, we presented a new design for a syringe pump system with closed-loop pressure control. This was accomplished by integrating a 3D-printed syringe pump with a piezoresistive pressure sensor and an open-source microcontroller. By employing a PID controller, we were able to precisely control the inlet pressure and provide fast response times while simultaneously maintaining the stability about a set point.

Many experiments using microfluidic devices require a precise fluidic control and expl.......

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Disclosures

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The authors have nothing to disclose.

Acknowledgements

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The authors acknowledge support from the Office of Naval Research awards N00014-17-12306 and N00014-15-1-2502, as well as from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research award FA9550-13-1-0108 and the National Science Foundation Grant No. 1709238.

....

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Materials

List of materials used in this article
NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
Arduino IDEArduino.orgArduino Uno R3 control software
Header Connector, 2 PositionsDigi-KeyWM4000-ND
Header Connector, 3 PositionsDigi-KeyWM4001-ND
Header Connector, 4 PositionsDigi-KeyWM4002-ND
Hook-up Wire, 22 Gauge, BlackDigi-Key1528-1752-ND
Hook-up Wire, 22 Gauge, BlueDigi-Key1528-1757-ND
Hook-up Wire, 22 Gauge, RedDigi-Key1528-1750-ND
Hook-up Wire, 22 Gauge, WhiteDigi-Key1528-1768-ND
Hook-up Wire, 22 Gauge, YellowDigi-Key1528-1751-ND
Instrumentation AmplifierTexas InstrumentsINA122P
Microcontroller, Arduino Uno R3Arduino.orgA000066
Mini BreadboardAmazonB01IMS0II0
Power SupplyBK Precision1550
Pressure SensorPendoTechPRESS-S-000
Rectangular Connectors, HousingsDigi-KeyWM2802-ND
Rectangular Connectors, MaleDigi-KeyWM2565CT-ND
Resistors, 10k Ohm Digi-Key1135-1174-1-ND
Resistors, 330 Ohm Digi-Key330ADCT-ND
Stepper Motor Driver, EasyDriverDigi-Key1568-1108-ND
USB 2.0 Cable, A-Male to B-MaleAmazonPC045
3D Printed Material, Z-ABS ZortraxA variety of colors are available
3D PrinterZortraxM200Printing out the syringe pump components
Ball Bearing, 17x6x6mmAmazonB008X18NWK
Hex Machine Screws, M3x16mm AmazonB00W97MTII
Hex Machine Screws, M3x35mm AmazonB00W97N2UW
Hex Nut, M3 0.5 AmazonB012U6PKMO
Hex Nut, M5 AmazonB012T3C8YQ
Lathe Round RodAmazonB00AUB73HW
Linear Ball BearingAmazonB01IDKG1WO
Linear Flexible CouplerAmazonB010MZ8SQU
Steel Lock Nut, M3 0.5AmazonB000NBKLOQ
Stepper Motor, NEMA-17, 1.8o/stepDigi-Key1568-1105-ND
Syringe, 10mL, Luer-Lok TipBD309604
Threaded RodAmazonB01MA5XREY
1H,1H,2H,2H-PerfluorooctyltrichlorosilaneFisherScientificAAL1660609
Camera ModuleRaspberry Pi FoundationV2
Compact OvenFisherScientificPR305220GBaking PDMS pre-polymer mixture and the device
Dispensing Needle, 22 GaugeMcMaster-Carr75165A682
Dispensing Needle, 23 GaugeMcMaster-Carr75165A684
Fisherbrand Premium Cover GlassesFisherScientific12-548-5C
Glass Culture Petri Dish, 130x25mmAmerican Educational Products7-1500-5
Plasma CleanerHarrick PlasmaPDC-32GBinding the cover glass with the PDMS device
Razor BladesFisherScientific7071A141 
Scotch Magic TapeAmazonB00RB1YAL6
Single-board ComputerRaspberry Pi FoundationRaspberry Pi 2 model B
Smart SpatulaFisherScientificEW-06265-12
Sylgard 184 Silicone Elastomer KitFisherScientificNC9644388
Syringe FiltersThermo Scientific7252520
Tygon TubingColeParmer EW-06419-01
Vacuum DesiccatorFisherScientific08-594-15CDegasing PDMS pre-polymer mixture and coating fluorosilane on the master mold
Weighing DishesFisherScientificS67090A

References

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  1. Sackmann, E. K., Fulton, A. L., Beebe, D. J. The present and future role of microfluidics in biomedical research. Nature. 507 (7491), 181-189 (2014).
  2. Duncombe, T. A., Tentori, A. M., Herr, A. E. Microfluidics: reframing biological enquiry. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology. 16 (9), 554-567 (2015).
  3. Prakadan, S. M., Shalek, A. K., Weitz, D. A.

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Tags

Three dimensional PrintingThermoplastic MaterialsSyringe PumpPressure TransducerProgrammable MicrocontrollerAdditive ManufacturingFeedback ControlMicrofluidic ApplicationsOpen source ElectronicsLow cost Fabrication

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