Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and System of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116023, PR China.
Lab Chip. 2011 Aug 21;11(16):2785-9. doi: 10.1039/c1lc20313d. Epub 2011 Jul 4.
Stomatal transpiration, which is an efficient way to carry water from the roots up to the leaves, can be described by "diameter-law". According to the law, the flow rate induced by micropore transpiration far exceeded that induced by macroscale evaporation, and it can be controlled by opening (or closing) some micropores. In this research, a bio-inspired micropump based on stomatal transpiration is presented. The micropump is composed of three layers: the top layer is a 93 μm-thick PVC (polyvinylchloride) film with a group of slit-like micropores; the second layer is a PMMA sheet with adhesives to join the other two layers together; the third layer is a microporous membrane. Using this pump, controllable flow rates of 0.13-3.74 μl min(-1) can be obtained. This micropump features high and adjustable flow-rates, simple structure and low fabrication cost. It can be used as a "plug and play" fluid-driven unit without any external power sources and equipment.
气孔蒸腾作用是一种从根部向上输送水分的有效方式，可以用“直径律”来描述。根据该定律，微孔蒸腾所引起的流速远远超过宏观尺度蒸发所引起的流速，并且可以通过打开（或关闭）一些微孔来控制。本研究提出了一种基于气孔蒸腾作用的仿生微泵。该微泵由三层组成：顶层是一层 93μm 厚的 PVC（聚氯乙烯）薄膜，上面有一组狭缝状微孔；第二层是带有粘合剂的 PMMA 薄片，用于将另外两层连接在一起；第三层是微孔膜。使用这种泵，可以获得 0.13-3.74μl min(-1)的可控流速。这种微泵具有流速高且可调、结构简单、制造成本低的特点。它可以作为一个“即插即用”的流体驱动单元，无需任何外部电源和设备。
