New Breakthrough In Microfluidics Technology

There is a trend toward the miniaturization of hydraulic and pneumatic drives for the security and cost-benefit of industries related to manufacturing, transportation, utilities, and the military. Development of microelectronics has paved the way for the miniaturization of the control mechanisms of electric-hydraulic and electric-pneumatic mini drives. The critical component of such mini drives is the control unit (CU) that interfaces the micro electronic control circuitry with the mini hydraulic or pneumatic actuating pilot of the control valve of that drive. However, the miniaturization of such components are limited in their effectiveness due to the fact that the smaller parts are more susceptible to external factors such as mechanical impact and vibration, extreme temperature, radiation, electro-static and magnetic fields, and corrosive gas or liquid chemicals. Such design vulnerabilities, as well as the manufacturing difficulties, of a reliable micro-scaled CU is of great concern.

Microfluidic devices, in most cases, fulfill only the functions of routing and redistribution of very weak flows of liquids or gases with the objective of chemical/biological interaction and conversion. CTRL Systems, Inc., Westminster, Maryland, has developed a revolutionary MEMS device, which deals with the functions of control and regulation of microfluidic devices. This device is an Interface Transducer (IT), which converts the weak input signal from a microfluidic unit into its own relatively powerful output signal, which is capable of set-resetting valves and/or spools of hydraulic and/or pneumatic proportional or servo drives.

CTRL Systems, Inc. has several versions of the innovative microfluidic element (MEMS device). This element:

• Possesses the functions of logic and digital/analog control.
• May be used as IT, coupling the multifunction microfluidic control unit, which emits pneumatic/hydraulic low power output signal, with hydraulic/pneumatic (proportional or servo) valves, which operate the hydraulic/pneumatic circuitry of various machines and mechanisms.

This Jet Pneumatic-Hydraulic Amplifier-Converter (JPHA) uses the direct contact of liquid and gas flows. It is capable of operating with different but properly chosen combinations of liquid, gas and solid materials, to eliminate their chemical interaction. Mechanical parts do not appear in either the process of converting/amplifying pneumatic input into hydraulic output signal or in amplifying the hydraulic input into a hydraulic output signal. The absence of mechanical moving parts in the interacting flows enables high stability and repeatability of the output hydraulic signal and eliminates hydro-mechanical hysteresis.