A Low-Cost, Accurate, and High-Precision Fluid Dispensing System for Microscale Application

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Instrumentation
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Accurate and precise fluid handling is crucial for various scientific applications, including microfluidics and biomedical assays.
• Existing fluid dispensing systems can be expensive, require frequent calibration, or depend heavily on the driving pump's specifications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a low-cost, accurate, and precise fluid dispensing system.
• To create a versatile system adaptable for different pump types and non-aqueous liquids.
• To demonstrate the system's utility in near real-time lactate measurement from microdialysate.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel fluid dispensing system utilizing positive displacement principles.
• Integration with peristaltic or other pumps to optimize flow characteristics.
• Testing of dispensing range (1-100 µL), accuracy (~99.5%), and precision (~150 nL standard deviation).

Main Results:

• The system achieves high accuracy and precision independent of the driving pump's specifications.
• Demonstrated a dispensing range of 1 to 100 µL with excellent performance metrics.
• Successfully applied the system for near real-time lactate measurement in microdialysate samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed fluid dispensing system provides a cost-effective solution for precise liquid handling.
• Its design allows for miniaturization for microfluidic applications and adaptability for non-conductive liquids.
• The system's reliability and ease of use make it suitable for disposable or sterilizable biomedical applications.