Improvement of Perfusion Functions of the Stirrer-Based Micropump for Microphysiological Systems

Recently, microphysiological systems (MPS) have attracted attention as an alternative to animal experiments for drug evaluation in drug development. We have developed an on-chip pump-type MPS with an integrated stirrer-based micropump to improve the operability of the MPS, however, instability of flow rate and flow direction has been a problem. In this study, we aimed to improve the pumping capability of the stirrer-based micropump by investigating the shape of the pump chamber and the height of the flow path. In the evaluation, microbeads were introduced into the MPS and the flow rate was calculated from the behavior of the microbeads using particle image velocimetry (PIV). As a result, it was confirmed that the flow direction was defined and the flow rate increased. These results suggest that changing the shape of the flow path of the on-chip pump type MPS can improve the pumping function.