External-integrated biomimetic micropump for microfluidic system

An external-integrated biomimetic micropump for a microfluidic system is demonstrated. An “artificial leaf” is constituted, which mimics the stomatal transpiration process in plants and utilizes the negative pressure generated to drive the fluid flow. The biomimetic micropump integrated an SU-8 film with a micropore array, agarose gel, a flow rate control unit, and additional necessary operating auxiliaries. SU-8 film with micropores and agarose gel is used to mimic the stomata and the mesophyll cells in a leaf, respectively. The flow rate control unit can change the flow rate of the micropump by adjusting the number of micropores that participate in transpiration. Additional necessary operating auxiliaries can fix a microchip, provide a continuous fluid supply, and speed up the fluid flow rate. Experiments on a microchip are conducted to evaluate the performance of the micropump platform. Results have shown that the flow rate of the micropump can be increased by accelerating the wind speed or raising the temperature.