Electroosmotic Pump Porous Membrane Separation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electro-osmosis pumps for liquid medicine delivery face issues with liquid medicine and operation fluid mixing, electrode compatibility, and high power consumption, which affect the stability and efficiency of the delivery process.
Innovation Solution
An electro-osmosis pump design featuring a check valve assembly with inflow and discharge check valves, a driver with diaphragms and power supply lines, and a porous membrane to separate the liquid medicine from the operation fluid, allowing for efficient and low-power delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If liquid medicine and operation fluid are separated by oil in conventional electro-osmosis pumps, then the pump can operate, but unexpected mixing of liquid medicine and water may occur at the interface between liquid medicine and water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a porous membrane as an intermediary barrier between the liquid medicine and operation fluid, replacing the conventional oil separation method. This porous membrane prevents direct contact and mixing between the two fluids while allowing the electro-osmosis pump to function properly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a porous membrane with specific pore structure to separate liquid medicine from operation fluid. The porous structure allows selective passage of substances while maintaining physical separation, preventing unexpected mixing that occurs with conventional oil-based separation methods.
2Device complexity
If liquid medicine directly contacts the electrode, then the pump structure is simplified, but high molecular substances such as protein are adsorbed to the electrodes, deteriorating performance of the pump
Solution Approach 1:
The porous membrane serves as an intermediary layer between the liquid medicine and electrodes, preventing direct contact while maintaining the electro-osmosis pumping function. This avoids protein adsorption on electrodes and maintains pump performance without significantly increasing structural complexity.
3Volume of moving object
If a conventional electro-osmosis pump is used for liquid medicine delivery, then the pump can be manufactured small in size, but power consumption is high which affects practical utility in wearable devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies operational parameters including using alternating current at optimized frequencies and adjusting voltage levels to reduce power consumption while maintaining effective pumping. This enables small-sized pumps to operate with lower power consumption suitable for wearable medical devices.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents mixing of liquid medicine and operation fluid, maintains the integrity of biologically active components, and enhances the efficiency and merchantability of the pump by using low-power operation and flexible check valves.
Implementation Method 1
a porous membrane to separate the liquid medicine from the operation fluid
Implementation Method 2
a check valve assembly with inflow and discharge check valves
Implementation Method 3
a driver with diaphragms and power supply lines, and a porous membrane to separate the liquid medicine from the operation fluid, allowing for efficient and low-power delivery
Implementation Method 4
An electro-osmosis pump is a pump that uses a phenomenon of fluid movement which occurs when a voltage is applied to opposite ends of a capillary or a porous separation membrane
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention discloses a path-type liquid medicine delivery electro-osmosis pump that can be applied to a wearable medicine device. An electro osmosis pump according to the present invention includes: a connector provided with a liquid medicine inlet and a liquid medicine outlet; a check valve assembly combined to one side of the connector; and a driver that is connected to the other side of the connector and moves the liquid medicine toward the liquid medicine outlet by applying pressure to the liquid medicine while being separated from the liquid medicine, which passes through the check valve assembly.