Piezopumps for Microchemical Stimulation of Tissue

将生物活性溶液注射到细胞和组织中， 大多数生物医学研究的一个组成部分，但 可用于这些过程的仪器是粗糙的， 繁琐且不精确。 大卫博士B。华莱士与MicroFab 技术公司开发了一种固态压电 “泵”，可以取代机械泵，离子电渗疗法， 在许多生物医学研究中， 应用. 与传统系统相比， 压电泵可以提供非常小的泵送体积， 更高的可靠性和准确性，同时“推拉” 泵送模式和方便的（固态）自动化， 流体输送/移除程序的控制。 MicroFab计划建造和测试压电泵， 将药物注射到组织或细胞中。 该公司已开发 压电泵的许多应用，但生物医学用途将 需要通过相当小的孔进行泵送， 更高的流体阻力。 MicroFab将测试压电泵 在模拟活体泵送条件下的性能， 确定可靠泵送的最小孔口等事项， 最小和最大可靠流量以及泵送精度。 压电泵送系统可以大大扩展 大多数生物医学研究实验室的研究能力; 现在困难或不可能的程序可能会成为常规， 固态泵

Injecting biologically active solutions into cells and tissues is an integral part of most biomedical research, but the instrumentation available for these procedures is crude, cumbersome, and imprecise. Dr. David B. Wallace with MicroFab Technologies, Inc. has developed a solid-state piezoelectric "pump" that could replace mechanical pumps, iontophoresis, and pressure-injection systems in many biomedical research applications. Compared to conventional systems, the piezoelectric pump could provide vastly smaller pumping volumes, greater reliability and accuracy, simultaneous "push-pull" pumping modes, and convenient (solid-state) automation and control of fluid delivery/removal programs. MicroFab plans to build and test piezoelectric pumps for injecting drugs into tissues or cells. The firm has developed piezopumps for many applications, but biomedical uses will require pumping through considerable smaller orifices and against higher fluid resistance. MicroFab will test piezopump performance under simulated intravital pumping conditions and determine such matters as minimum orifice for reliable pumping, minimum and maximum reliable flow rates, and pumping accuracy. The piezoelectric pumping system could substantially expand the research capabilities of most biomedical research laboratories; procedures now difficult or impossible may be come routine with the solid-state pump.