  This paper presents the design, fabrication, and experimental
characterization of a peristaltic micropump. The micropump is composed of two
layers fabricated from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material. The first layer
has a rectangular channel and two valve seals. Three rectangular mini
lightweight piezo-composite actuators are integrated in the second layer, and
used as actuation parts. Two layers are bonded, and covered by two polymethyl
methacrylate (PMMA) plates, which help increase the stiffness of the micropump.
A maximum flow rate of 900 mokroliter per min and a maximum backpressure of 1.8
kPa are recorded when water is used as pump liquid. We measured the power
consumption of the micropump. The micropump is found to be a promising
candidate for bio-medical application due to its bio-compatibility,
portability, bidirectionality, and simple effective design.
