Partial electroosmotic pumping in complex capillary systems - Part 1: Principles and general theoretical approach

This paper describes theoretically the behavior of partial electroosmotic a nd hydrodynamic flow in complex capillary systems. The equivalent hydraulic resistance and the equivalent electrical resistance of microfluidic system s are considered as the relevant parameters. The predicted flow rates and b ack-pressure characteristics agreed well with experimental results, as obta ined with a novel electroosmotic pump consisting of up to six microfabricat ed microchannels connected in parallel. The theory permits the tailored design and optimization of new electroosmot ic pumps with specific features, such as defined flow rate range, back-pres sure range and desired range of the applied voltage. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.