Development and fabrication of a rotary micropump and its industrial and medical applications

The development of small pumps in the area of microsystem technology has lead to many different prototypes, mainly using membranes. In contrast to this, a rotary working pump has been developed at IPA with which both an improvement in output, as well as pressures previously not possible have been reached. After a first prototype pump with an outer diameter of 10 mm an optimized prototype with an outer diameter of only 2.5 mm was fabricated in cooperaton with AGIE applying electro-discharge-machining. Presently IPA is working upon the design of a micromotor with the same functional principles. The applications of the new microhydraulic system are exceedingly numerous and extend from technical to medical products.