Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Design and simulation of a normally closed glucose sensitive hydrogel based microvalve

  • Technical Paper
  • Published:
Microsystem Technologies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In drug delivery systems microvalves are the key components that have been developed for active control of drugs. In this research a normally closed microvalve with a glucose sensitive hydrogel actuating system is designed and simulated. Swelling of the hydrogel forces a silicone rubber membrane to deflect and causes the valve to be opened. The component of the valve that can be opened because of the hydrogel pressure is a silicon nitride cantilever beam which is sealed with a parylene layer. Simulations have been done by FEM analysis and the results show that membrane deflection is large enough to enable the valve to be opened and the fluid to flow through the microchannel. For both rectangular and trapezoidal microchannels with various hydraulic diameters, output flow rates less than 50 μl/min to several hundreds of μl/min can be achieved. Final design has been optimized for the opening point of microvalve at glucose concentration of 15 mM. Overall investigation has been done for a microvalve with specific dimensions and with 4 kPa input pressure the output flow rate of 100 μl/min has been generated which is in the desired range.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baldi A, Gu Y, Loftness PE, Siegel RA, Ziaie B (2003) A hydrogel-actuated environmentally sensitive microvalve for active flow control. J Microelectromech Syst 12(5):613–621. doi:10.1109/JMEMS.2003.818070

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baldi A, Lei M, Gu Y, Siegel RA, Ziaie B (2006) A microstructured silicon membrane with entrapped hydrogels for environmentally sensitive fluid gating. Sens Actuators B 114:9–18. doi:10.1016/j.snb.2005.04.020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chuang WH, Fetting RK, Ghodssi R (2005) An electrostatic actuator for fatigue testing of low-stress LPCVD silicon nitride thin films. Sens Actuators A 121:557–565

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eddington DT, Beebe DJ (2004) A valved responsive hydrogel microdispensing device with integrated pressure source. J Microelectromech Syst 13(4):586–593. doi:10.1109/JMEMS.2004.832190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feng GH, Kim ES (2004) Micropump based on PZT unimorph and one-way arylene valves. J Micromech Microeng 14:429–435. doi:10.1088/0960-1317/14/4/001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gere JM, Timoshenko SP (1997) Mechanics of materials, 3rd edition. PWS Pub Co., Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Giovanni M (1982) Flat and corrugated diaphragm design handbook. M. Dekker, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Madou MJ (2002) Fundamentals of microfabrication, 2nd edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL

    Google Scholar 

  • Morini GL (2004) Laminar liquid flow through silicon microchannels. J Fluids Eng 126:485–489. doi:10.1115/1.1760545

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen NT, Wereley ST (2002) Fundamentals and applications of microfluidics. Artech house

  • Park JY, Oh HJ, Kim DJ, Baek JY, Lee SH (2006) A polymeric microfluidic valve employing a pH-responsive hydrogel microsphere as an actuating source. J Micromech Microeng 16:656–663. doi:10.1088/0960-1317/16/3/022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richter A, Kuckling D, Howitz S, Gehring T, Arndt KF (2003) Electronically controllable microvalves based on smart hydrogels: magnitudes and potential applications. J Microelectromech Syst 12(5):748–753. doi:10.1109/JMEMS.2003.817898

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saliterman SS (2006) Fundamentals of BioMEMS and medical microdevices. Wiley interscience, SPIE Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Shah RK, London AL (1978) Laminar flow forced convection in ducts. Academic Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegel RA, Gu Y, Baldi A, Ziaie B (2004) Novel swelling/shrinking behaviors of glucose binding hydrogels and their potential use in a microfluidic insulin delivery system. Macromol Symp 207:249–256. doi:10.1002/masy.200450322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White FM (1991) Viscous fluid flow, 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Zachary Hilt J, Peppas NA (2005) Microfabricated drug delivery devices. Int J Pharm 306:15–23. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2005.09.022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Kato S, Anazawa T (2008) A microchannel concentrator controlled by integral thermoresponsive valves. Sens Actuators B 129:481–486. doi:10.1016/j.snb.2007.08.015

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This work is financially supported by Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics (IMEN), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, 43600, Malaysia

    Masoomeh Tehranirokh, Burhanuddin Yeop Majlis & Badariah Bais

Authors
  1. Masoomeh Tehranirokh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Burhanuddin Yeop Majlis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Badariah Bais
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Masoomeh Tehranirokh.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tehranirokh, M., Majlis, B.Y. & Bais, B. Design and simulation of a normally closed glucose sensitive hydrogel based microvalve. Microsyst Technol 15, 753–762 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-009-0785-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-009-0785-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation