Microspheres as resistive elements in a check valve for low pressure and low flow rate conditions

In this paper we describe a microsphere-based check valve integrated with a micropump. The check valve uses Ø20 μm polystyrene microspheres to rectify flow in low pressure and low flow rate applications (Re < 1). The microspheres form a porous medium in the check valve increasing fluidic resistance based on the direction of flow. Three check valve designs were fabricated and characterized to study the microspheres' effectiveness as resistive elements. A maximum diodicity (ratio of flow in the forward and reverse direction) of 18 was achieved. The pumping system can deliver a minimum flow volume of 0.25 μL and a maximum flow volume of 1.26 μL under an applied pressure of 0.2 kPa and 1 kPa, respectively. A proof-of-concept study was conducted using a pharmaceutical agent, docetaxel (DTX), as a sample drug showing the microsphere check valve's ability to limit diffusion from the micropump. The proposed check valve and pumping concept shows strong potential for implantable drug delivery applications with low flow rate requirements.