  Electroactive-Polymers (EAPs) are one of the best soft materials with great
applications in active microfluidics. Ionic ones (i-EAPs) have more promising
features for being appropriate candidates to use in active microfluidic
devices. Here, as a case study, we have designed and fabricated a microfluidic
micromixer using an i-EAP named Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite (IPMC). In
microfluidics, active devices have more functionality but due to their required
facilities are less effective for Point of Care Tests (POCTs). In the direction
of solving this paradox, we should use some active components that they need
minimum facilities. IPMC can be one of these components, hence by integrating
the IPMC actuator into a microfluidic channel, a micromixer chip was designed
and put to the simulation and experimental tests. The result showed that the
proposed micromixer is able to mix the micro fluids properly and IPMC actuator
has adequate potential to be an active component for POCT-based microfluidic
chips.
