AMANDA - low-cost production of microfluidic devices

AMANDA is a process that allows the production of microfluidic devices by molding of the device housings, surface micromachining of a diaphragm, and transferring it to the molded parts. Various devices have been produced with AMANDA, and the reliability of the process was proven in a small-scale production line for the manufacture of micropumps showing a yield of 70%. Low-cost production is achieved by batch fabrication of polymer devices. A further reduction of expenditure appears to be feasible by miniaturizing the devices and enlarging the batches. Long-term investigations show that the diaphragms of pumps and valves may stand more than 300 million deflections. For example, one micropump pumped unfiltered room air for nearly half a year at 20 Hz. During all tests, no defect of a valve and no clogging of a pump occurred. In any case of failure, the pumps were damaged by a crack in the heater of the thermo-pneumatic actuator. Folds in the diaphragm appear to be responsible for these cracks. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.