LabSmith uProcess Microfluidics Automation System
LabSmith’s uProcess™ is a platform comprised of a suite of hardware and software products that simplify construction and control of microfluidic systems.
uProcess automated devices work together with CapTite™ microfluidic interconnect products to make it easy to build and rebuild micro- and nano-fluidic circuits. All products are inter-compatible and quick to assemble, taking the hassle out of fluid routing.
All uProcess devices are connected through a common bus on the uPB Breadboard to an interface box, communicating with the software through a serial interface. One control interface can sequence and coordinate more than 30 devices, and breadboards can hold 5 or 8 devices each.
SPS01 Programmable Syringe Pumps
The SPS01 syringe pump is an extremely compact, fully programmable, bi-directional pump for accurate metering of microfluidic volumes.
Only 100-mm long, the SPS01 uses a fraction of the space and power required by other syringe pumps.
It connects directly to 360 µm capillary tubing, delivering volumes from 5 to 100 microliters with resolution as low as 10 nanoliters and volume and flow rate accuracy of ~1%.
Performance Specifications
Volume
µl |
Min flow rate
µl/min |
Max flow rate
µl/min
|
Step size
µl |
Max pressure
psi |
| 5 |
0.05 |
280
|
0.008 |
>500 |
| 10 |
0.1 |
560
|
0.017 |
>500 |
| 20 |
0.20 |
1100
|
0.033 |
>500 |
| 50 |
0.5 |
2800
|
0.083 |
300 |
| 100 |
1 |
5600
|
0.167 |
200 |
2-position, 3-port valves
The AV201 automated, 2-position valves gives programmable control over fluid routing in a fraction of the footprint required with most other valves. The AV201 and the manual version MV201 both offer stable, positive switching with low swept and dead volumes.
The MV201 and AV201 valves provide “L” pattern flow routing at pressures up to 10 kpsi for use with 360 μm, 1/32” or 1/16” tubing. All styles feature zero dead volume connections, nanoliter swept volumes, rapid flow response time, low carryover, and inert, durable wetted materials. All valves include mounting holes for breadboard positioning. The AV201 valve is conneceted by a flat cable to a slot in the 4VM valve manifold, which is able to control up to 4 valves. The 4VM valve manifold plugs into any free connector on the uPB breadboard and is controlled by the uProcess software through the uProcess bus.
uProcess software
The uProcess software controls all uDevices either in manual or automated mode.
The uProcess software has two main sections:
The uDevice Window, displaying a control panel for each connected uDevice. In the control panel, you can set parameters for a uDevice, eg flow rate or valve switching pattern, and operate the uDevice with these parameters.
The Sequencer Window, allowing you to define a sequence of uDevice operations, eg deliver 50µl at flow rate 10µl/min from syringe pump 1, and save these operations as a script. The script can be entered either by typing in the commands in a text window, or by using the wizard, defining each step in the uDevice window.
With the uProcess software, you can quickly build and test sequences of operations with immediate feedback. A LabView library is provided for integration into user-written software. |
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