A fluid handling system for a chemical microanalyzer

In this paper we present the design and fabrication of the two fundamental components of a fluid handling system intended to be the core of a chemical microanalyzer for measuring heavy metals in ground water. The first fluidic component is a micropump with built-in passive valves. The pump body is fabricated by thermoplastic moulding, whereas the passive valves are obtained by reaction injection moulding. The second fluidic component is an active valve, also fabricated by thermoplastic moulding. Both devices are driven by miniaturized electromagnetic actuators. Experiments demonstrate that the head pressure produced by the pump is 5.5 x 10(3) Pa and the maximum flow rate is 13 ml s(-1). The active valve is designed to be normally closed till an external pressure of 6.5 x 10(3) Pa.