The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 02, 2009
Filed:
Jun. 03, 2005
Ping Sheng, Hong Kong, CN;
Ning Wang, Hong Kong, CN;
Jianying Miao, Hong Kong, CN;
Zhiyu Yang, Hong Kong, CN;
Shihe Yang, Hong Kong, CN;
Xinyi Zhang, Hefei, CN;
Ping Sheng, Hong Kong, CN;
Ning Wang, Hong Kong, CN;
Jianying Miao, Hong Kong, CN;
Zhiyu Yang, Hong Kong, CN;
Shihe Yang, Hong Kong, CN;
Xinyi Zhang, Hefei, CN;
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, HK;
Abstract
A technique has been developed to fabricate micro- or nanopumps based on porous alumina thin films. The main body of the nanopump consists of a porous alumina thin film (containing nano-sized channels of about 40-300 nm in diameter) with conductive surfaces (e.g. Au coating layers) on both sides of the film. Through the fabrication of nanochannels in (the alumina films) and the subsequent annealing and surface activation processes, high-efficiency micro- or nanopumps can be made. The nanofluidic flow through the nanochannels of the alumina thin films is driven by an electric field with no moving parts. The flow rate (up to 50 millilitres/(min·cm)) of water through the alumina thin film can be continuously tuned through the intensity of the electric field, i.e., the DC electric potential applied across the nanochannels.