Title: Investigations of DC Electro-Osmotic (DCEO) micro pumps for an orthopaedic implant applications

Authors: Prachya Mruetusatorn, Mohamed R. Mahfouz, Jie (Jayne) Wu

Addresses: Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Science and Engineering Research Facility, Room 536, 1414 Circle Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA. ' Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 307 Perkins Hall, 1506 Middle Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA. ' Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 420 Ferris Hall, 1508 Middle Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA

Abstract: This paper investigates the feasibility and design of an Electro-Osmotic pump to deliver interstitial fluids to chemical sensing devices inside orthopaedic implants for prognostic feedback. Attention is given to pump parameters, e.g., pump geometries, power consumption, and fluid properties (ionic strength, viscosity). The fabrication of micro-pumps is simple and inexpensive by soft lithography, with no need of cleanroom. The micro-pumps are interfaced with an external load for sample delivery where flow rates of 0.017-0.097 μL/min are generated under electric fields of 10−50 V/cm with less than 2.5-μW power consumption. The overall results well agree with theoretic prediction.

Keywords: EOF; electro-osmotic flow; micropumps; chemical sensing devices; orthopaedic implants; TKA; total knee arthroplasty; interstitial fluids; chemical sensors; pump geometries; power consumption; ionic strength; viscosity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2010.029657

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2010 Vol.3 No.1/2, pp.173 - 185

Published online: 30 Nov 2009 *

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