What does your flow profile look like?

Do you know what your flow profile looks like? We tested three of the most commonly used pump options in microfluidic cell culture with our new Galileo flow sensor:

• Peristaltic pumps

• Syringe pumps

• Pressure-driven flow controllers

Each has some real advantages and some potential drawbacks to consider depending on your intended application.

Typically, peristaltic pumps can be placed inside the CO2 incubator right next to your media and cells. They also easily loop the media in a continuous circuit. However, the pinching motion of the pump can be harmful to circulating cells, and the flow can be highly pulsatile if not separately dampened.

Syringe pumps are commonly found in biology labs, are easy to use, and can be set to low (ul/min) flow rates. However the liquid is generally only pushed out from the syringe, limiting the length of an experiment to the size of the syringe (and flow rate used). These pumps normally must sit outside of a  CO2 incubator, and the step motor can also produce an oscillatory flow rate.

Pressure-driven flow controllers use pressurized air to push the liquid. They mostly require an external compressed air source and an understanding of resistance principles to tune flow control. However, they are highly precise and accurate, and the flow rate is very stable.

What pump do you most often use? Let us know what flow profile is most interesting to you at: innovation@microfluidic.fr