Rotary Membrane Valve & Pump for Microfluidic Devices
Accurately automate on-chip microfluidics control with minimal instrumentation.
The Enplas-designed Rotary Membrane Valve & Pump (RMVP) simplifies microfluidic applications while enabling accurate and efficient control of more than 20 fluids.
By embedding a customized RMVP directly into the plastic device, customers can minimize the size of their instrument and maximize its fluid-handling performance. This small and simple system is mass-manufacturable and customizable to customers’ unique plastic microfluidic devices.
For developers looking to minimize and simplify their microfluidic application and those seeking more efficient liquid handling, Enplas’s RMVP is the answer.
See the RMVP in Action
Accuracy: Transferring Less Than 10μL of Fluids
See this video to understand the basic mechanism of how the RMVP controls multiple fluids, while maintaining a small footprint and a tubeless microfluidic process.
Efficiency: Tight Sealing & Washing
See how the RMVP tightly seals off any fluid when it is closed, and channels are clean when washed.
The Enplas Advantage
High Accuracy
Enplas’s RMVP controls more than 20 fluids without cross contamination and handles multiple fluids with a stable flow rate, even down to nL/min.
High Efficiency
Reduce sample volume and reagent costs: minimize dead volume with a leakage of less than 1ppm and operate minute volumes from nanoliters to microliters.
Simple & Small
Enplas’s RMVP is a simple, compact mechanism with single-axis control for both pump and valve, eliminating the need for a more complex system. The RMVP comprises one microfluidic chip laminated by a single membrane film and two pins on the instrument to operate.
Customizable
Tailor the entire system or only the valve or pump to your needs: channel dimensions and structures for specific fluid volumes, customized mixing or incubation reservoirs, and more—all mass-producible with high precision and consistent quality.
How the RMVP Works
The RMVP is composed of:
- A membrane-laminated microfluidic chip wich channels and resorvoirs customized for each application.
- Two rotary pusher pins to be incorporated into the customer instrument.
On the Plastic Chip
A thermally-bonded plastic film membrane containing miniscule domes that open and close as valves and a cylindrical arc that functions as a peristaltic pump. The 3D structures on this film acts as passages that engage the channels on the plastic plate base.
On the Instrument
Two rotary pusher pins, one for the valve and the other for the pump, each controlled by a single motor. The valve pin presses individual domes on the film membrane to open and close the target valves. The pump pin squeezes the film membrane, pulling or pushing fluids to and from the valve.
The RMVP Valve
The rotary membrane valve is a simple microfluidic device composed of 1) a specially designed film with small domes (valves) laminated over a microfluidic chip and 2) a bidirectional, single-axis rotational value pin to control the opening and closing of the valves.
- Single-axis control
- Manage 20+ fluids with a simple system
- Robust & high-sealing – (up to 10 psi) with less than 1ppm leakage—no contamination and less dead volume
- Durable for over 2,000 cycles – of open/close motion
The RMVP Pump
The rotary membrane pump pushes and pulls liquids, acting as a peristaltic pump. This on-chip pump can significantly reduce equipment size by replacing conventional external pumps.
Single-axis control
Precise metering
Stable flow rate
Designed to your required flow rate
Transfer 100nL to 10mL of fluids
Ultra-slow (nL/min) delivery possible
RMVP Applications
Enplas’s RMVP system can be used in many microfluidic applications to improve liquid handling and simplify instrumentation. Below are just a few examples that can benefit from the RMVP.
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DNA/RNA Extraction Combining the RMVP with micro-channels will minimize dead volumes and allow precise control of liquid volumes less than a μL, which enables higher efficiency in extracting DNA/RNA from the smallest sample volumes. | Sample Prep for NGS Similar to DNA/RNA extraction, the RMVP can help increase the efficiency of library prep with the use of small sample volumes. |
Immunoassay To analyze allergies, large, automated dispensing instruments are usually required to repeatedly deliver serums, washing fluids, and antibodies to antigens. With the RMVP, the entire process can be done with a single microfluidic device, minimizing the size of the instrument. | Cell Assay During cell assay processes, multiple pipetting is required to transfer reagents or medias to different vessels. This is susceptible to environmental effects and human error and requires more tools such as dispensers and a clean bench. By using an RMVP-embedded microfluidic device, errors can be minimized and tools can be reduced. Within a semi-closed environment, the RMVP can precisely feed and extract media from one vessel to another without the need for human interaction or multiple tools. |
RMVP Customization
The RMVP system can be customized specifically for your microfluidic device and its applications. Whether it’s the whole RMVP system or just a single component, the RMVP is a flexible solution for meeting your personal microfluidic goals. Design the RMVP to enhance your microfluidic device: intricate channel dimensions and various reservoir shapes can be implemented in the RMVP according to your needs.
