Microfluidic systems are essential for the production and testing of drugs as well as for diagnostic applications. For extremely precise handling, liquid flows down to nl/min must be measured and system errors diagnosed or prevented.
The aim of microfluidics is to miniaturize and automate laboratory experiments, diagnostic tests or (bio)chemical processes. Instead of pipetting discrete quantities of liquids from one container to another, today the liquid in a microfluidic system flows through the tiny channels of a manifold. The liquid in these channels is generally moved by external pumps or pressure sources to which the fluidic chip is connected. To control the applied pressures or stabilize the flow generated by the pump, the flow rate is measured using flow sensors. Thanks to their outstanding sensitivity even at extremely minimal flow rates, Sensirion’s microthermal mass flow meters for liquids set the industry standard in the precise monitoring of liquid flows in microfluidic systems.
