Bioinspired Impedance Micropump for Cardiac-On-Chip Perfusion*

Significant attention has been directed toward organ-on-chip devices as a viable option for investigating pathophysiological processes relevant to drug screening. In these organ-on-chip devices, micropumps are used to replicate and mimic the in vivo physiological fluid flow conditions by supplying the sufficient amount of nutrients to the organ. Thus, micropumps are essential for facilitating the pumping, perfusion, and circulation of fluids within diverse microdevices, including X-on-chip, PCR-DNA microarrays, miniature bioreactors, cell separation systems, and biosensing platforms. This experimental study introduces a bioinspired impedance micropump designed to mimic the rhythmic wall contractions observed in insect tracheal tubes, drawing inspiration from the respiratory system of insects. The design is based on using flexible micro tubes that are connected to rigid tubes to induce impedance mismatch effects. The contraction is induced mechanically to the flexible tubesand and controlled electrically over a wide range of excitation frequencies. The micropump is optimized to perform well in low Reynolds number flow conditions. The results have shown that this pump can be integrated with a cardiac-on-chip service for proper circulation of media and supply of nutrients.