A Liquid Metal Enabled Fluid Pumping in 3D Space

As the main prerequisite for flow in microfluidic chips, micropumps have always been the core component of microfluidic systems. With the continuous development trend of the three dimensions and high integration for microfluidic systems in recent years, combining the characteristics of micro and drivable fluid flowing in 3D space is the current mainstream research goal in the functions of the micropumps. Here, based on the continuous electrowetting effect in a confined space of the Ga-based liquid metal (LM), an LM driving micropump structure is proposed that enables fluid to be pumped up to 200 mm in height, which meets the major demands of microfluidic system working environments. The pumping mechanism is experimentally analyzed and demonstrated, as well as the working performance of the micropump under different output modes (continuous flow and pulsatile flow). The feasibility of this micropump is also verified through a fluid pumping experiment in complex shaped channels and a temperature management experiment in 3D space. This work is envisaged to expand the function and application area of the electric actuators driven by the Ga-based LM and provide new support for micropumps in the 3D microfluidic chip system.