Paper Pumps Power Portable Microfluidics, Biomedical Devices

Biomedical engineering researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed inexpensive paper pumps that use capillary action to power portable microfluidic devices, opening the door to a range of biomedical tools.

Microfluidic devices are devices that manipulate fluids which have a volume of one microliter or less – volumes substantially smaller than a single teardrop. These devices hold promise for use in applications ranging from biomedical diagnostic tools to drug testing technologies.