POWERFUL MICRO DIAPHRAGM PUMP FOR MINI- SENSORS

Heart and lungs tends to be harmed by particulate matters. In the nearest future, a smartphone with an inbuilt gas sensor could be used to warn of heavy exposure.

Researchers at Fraunhofer have developed a powerful micro diaphragm pump for delivering ambient air to the sensor that would help the sensor respond quickly and provide accurate measurements.

According to Dr. Martin Richter, department head of micro dosing systems at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Micro-systems and Solid State Technologies EMFT in Munich. “Our smart pump measures only 25 square millimetres, making it the world’s smallest pump. That said, it still has a high compression ratio”.

Piezoelectric effect was used by Richter and his team , it converts an applied electrical field into mechanical strain, to generate pressure in the pump chamber. Alternating the voltage helps move the silicon membrane up or down, which in turn draws in ambient air through a valve and compresses it in the pump chamber before expelling it.

The device could also be used in medicine, for instance as a medical patch to continuously deliver tiny amounts of hormone or pain killer. Or as an implant to help regulate pressure within the eye in treating glaucoma. The pump could also supply machines with precise doses of lubricant. “This is an application that we are currently developing with a partner from industry.

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