Microfluidic Switch Valves: applications and customization
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Oct 2024

What is a microfluidic switch rotary valve? Key features and benefits

Microfluidic switch valves are critical components in advanced fluidic systems, offering precise control over the flow of liquids across multiple channels. These valves allow for efficient redirection or recirculation and routing of fluids between various pathways, making them essential for applications ranging from biological experiments to chemical synthesis. With features like low internal volume and minimal dead volume, microfluidic switch valves ensure accuracy and reliability in processes that require high-precision fluid management.

The microfluidic switch valve is designed to handle complex fluid pathways, playing a pivotal role in automating workflows, enabling liquid recirculation, and facilitating small volume injections into fluid streams. These valves are indispensable in long-term, high-precision applications, where reliability and repeatability are crucial.

How microfluidic switch valves enhance fluid control precision?

Microfluidic switch valves allow for precise control of fluid flow through multiple channels, enhancing the automation of fluidic processes. This enables long-term unidirectional flow recirculation and efficient sample injection, making them ideal for applications requiring reproducible and controlled liquid handling. By automating the switching process, these valves optimize workflow efficiency and reduce manual intervention.

The design includes 4 or 6 (or even more) radial ports that are connected 2 by 2, allowing for custom setups to meet specific project needs.

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AMF’s microfluidic switch valves are available in 4 or 6 ports configurations:

  • 4 ports: it has 4 inputs and 2 interchangeable configurations

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  • 6 ports: it has 6 inputs and 3 interchangeable configuration

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The operation is driven by a motor that rotates a calibrated precision-machined rotor, which directs the fluidic path. The rotor works in tandem with the stator, ensuring a precise alignment of channels to control the flow of liquids. 

In recirculation mode, a small volume of liquid can be cycled continuously within a closed loop, making these valves highly suitable for long-term experiments, including cell culture applications. This capability allows for extended fluid flow without the need for constant manual intervention, and the controlled shear stress helps maintain cell viability over prolonged periods.

AMF’s microfluidic switch valves are designed for precision and reliability in fluid management. Whether it’s for fluid recirculation in biological studies or precise sample injections in chemical analysis, these valves offer controlled shear stress, long-term stability, and automated workflow efficiency, making them a critical component in any microfluidic setup.

Key advantages of AMF’s microfluidic switch valves

AMF’s microfluidic switch valves are expertly engineered with precision and durability, delivering high-quality performance in fluidic control. The careful craftsmanship and superior production standards behind these valves ensure reliable operation, making them a versatile solution for a wide range of applications. Whether used in small laboratory setups or large-scale industrial systems, AMF’s switch valves stand out for their exceptional performance and adaptability.

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Demonstration model in PMMA, showcasing precision engineering
Here are the key advantages of our microfluidic switch valves:

  • Unidirectional liquid recirculation: Enables precise, long-term recirculation of fluids, ensuring consistent and stable flow throughout extended experiments.
  • Precise sample injection: Automates the injection of small volumes into fluidic systems, providing high accuracy and reproducibility in workflows.
  • Fast and accurate switching: Capable of switching between flow configurations in less than 180 ms, powered by a precision-driven valve motor for seamless fluid management.
  • Low internal volume: As low as 600 nL, ensuring precise and accurate fluid handling, critical for applications with limited sample volumes.
  • No dead volume: With no dead volume and ultra-low carryover volume (as low as 0.55 μL), these valves minimize fluid waste and eliminate cross-contamination, optimizing reagent usage.
  • High chemical compatibility: Constructed with biocompatible materials such as PCTFE and PTFE, the valves are compatible with a wide range of chemicals and solvents, making them suitable for various experimental conditions.
  • Ease of use: Equipped with ¼-28 standard connections, the valves allow for quick, leak-free installation and easy integration into different systems.

These advantages underscore the superior quality and versatility of AMF’s microfluidic switch valves, ensuring optimal performance in any fluidic application.

Technical specifications of AMF’s microfluidic switch valves

AMF’s switch valves are designed to meet the needs of fluidic systems in various fields. To make it easier to understand our component references, here is a breakdown of the nomenclature used for our valves:

V-A-B-C-D-E-F (e.g. V-D-1-5-050-C-P)

  • V = Valve
  • A = Type (D = Distribution, O = On/off, S = Switch)
  • B = Number of stages
  • C = Number of radial ports
  • D = Diameter of the channels (e.g. 0.5 mm = 050, 1 mm = 100)
  • E = Stator material (PCTFE = C, PEEK = K)
  • F = Rotor material (PTFE = P, UHMW-PE = U)

Below is an overview of their configuration and performance details:

Ref. Configuration Wetted materials Internal volume Carryover volume Fluid path diameter Max. pressure
V–S–1–4–050–C–P 4 ports ultra-low carryover volume PCTFE, PTFE 2.6 μL 0.8 μL 0.5 mm 7 bars
V–S–1–6–050–C–P 6 ports ultra-low carryover volume PCTFE, PTFE 2.4 μL 0.6 μL 0.5 mm 7 bars

The above specifications are typical for our components and may vary due to multiple parameters / factors (e.g. fluid type, usage conditions…). Specifications are subject to change.
AMF’s valves offer flexibility across various applications, ensuring optimal performance in fluid management. Whether your project requires minimal carryover volume or fast switching, our valves are the perfect solution.

Seamless integration with AMF fluidic components & systems

AMF’s microfluidic switch valves integrate effortlessly with our RVM Rotary Valve

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component, providing seamless automation and enhanced fluid management for a wide range of applications. This integration allows users to optimize fluid control, ensuring precision, efficiency, and reliability across complex experimental setups.

RVM Industrial Microfluidic Rotary Valve

The RVM Industrial Microfluidic Rotary Valve is specifically designed to handle complex multi-channel fluid routing with ease. It excels in environments where intricate fluid pathways and multiple fluid sources need to be coordinated and controlled with high precision. The RVM’s ability to automate liquid switching significantly reduces manual intervention, freeing up valuable time and minimizing the risk of human error during experiments or production processes.

One of the key advantages of the RVM is its ability to support precise recirculation in systems requiring continuous, unidirectional flow. This makes it particularly useful in applications such as cell culture, chemical reactions, and high-throughput screening, where maintaining consistent flow conditions over long periods is critical. By pairing the RVM with AMF’s microfluidic switch valves, users can automate the fluid recirculation process, ensuring that small volumes of liquid are consistently cycled through the system without interruption.

In addition to recirculation, the RVM’s rotary design allows for automated switching between multiple fluid sources, enabling seamless transitions between different liquids. This capability is ideal for processes like sequential injections, where multiple reagents or samples need to be introduced into a flow stream at specific intervals, ensuring precise timing and fluid management.

The integration of AMF’s switch valves with the RVM Rotary Valve also provides users with the flexibility to tailor fluidic pathways for custom applications. Whether you need to distribute fluids across multiple channels or direct them into specific parts of your system, the RVM’s modular design allows for easy reconfiguration, making it adaptable to evolving experimental or production requirements.

Example of use of a microfluidic switch rotary valve with the RVM:

Xiaokang Li, Hui Song Pak, Florian Huber, Justine Michaux, Marie Taillandier-Coindard, Emma Ricart Altimiras, Michal Bassani-Sternberg – A microfluidics-enabled automated workflow of sample preparation for MS-based immunopeptidomics – Cell Reports Methods – Volume 3, Issue 6 – 2023 – 100479 – ISSN 2667-2375

Custom solutions for specific fluidic needs

AMF offers extensive customization options for our microfluidic switch valves, ensuring a perfect fit for any fluidic system. From adjusting port configurations to selecting the most compatible materials, our valves can be tailored to meet your specific project requirements.

For instance, our 64-port valve is an ideal solution for high-throughput applications, allowing for the control of multiple fluid streams in parallel. This valve is perfect for processes that require simultaneous management of a large number of reagents, offering unmatched scalability and efficiency.

Additionally, our distribution switch valve provides flexibility in routing fluids to different destinations with precision. This makes it an excellent choice for systems that need seamless switching between multiple liquid sources or pathways, optimizing fluid control in both research and industrial environments.

AMF’s customization ensures that every valve is built to deliver maximum efficiency and performance, regardless of the complexity of your fluidic setup.

Applications of microfluidic switch valves in real-world scenarios

AMF’s microfluidic switch valves are indispensable across a wide range of scientific and industrial applications, providing precise and reliable fluid control for even the most complex processes. Their versatility and high performance make them ideal for various environments where accurate fluid management is critical to achieving consistent results.

Long-term liquid recirculation

AMF’s switch valves are perfect for experiments requiring continuous recirculation of fluids, such as cell culture systems, where maintaining stable and unidirectional flow is essential for long-term viability. These valves ensure that fluid is recirculated efficiently without introducing bubbles or inconsistencies in flow rate, allowing for extended experiments, such as organ-on-a-chip studies or microfluidic perfusion systems. The precise control of fluid paths also helps maintain optimal shear stress, critical for simulating physiological conditions over hours or days.

Precise sample injections

In applications like chemical assays and biological experiments, precise and reproducible fluid injections are crucial for accurate results. AMF’s switch valves excel in automating small-volume injections into a fluid stream, ensuring that the correct amount of reagent or sample is delivered consistently. This is especially valuable in drug development and enzyme assays, where sample integrity and accurate delivery timing impact experimental outcomes. The low carryover volume of the valves minimizes contamination between different samples, making them reliable for high-sensitivity applications.

Diagnostic instruments

Switch valves play an integral role in diagnostic equipment, where the automated injection of fluids, reagents, and samples must be executed with high precision. In clinical diagnostics, such as point-of-care testing devices, AMF’s valves help streamline fluid handling by switching between multiple reagents and samples without manual intervention. The rapid switching between different channels also reduces waiting time, enabling faster test results while minimizing the risk of cross-contamination between samples, which is essential in accurate diagnostics.

High-throughput screening

AMF’s switch valves are a key component in high-throughput screening (HTS) systems, especially in pharmaceutical and chemical industries where large-scale testing of compounds is required. By automating fluid routing and sample injections, these valves optimize the screening process, allowing for parallel testing of multiple compounds with minimal downtime. The rapid switching and precise control make it possible to handle hundreds or even thousands of samples efficiently, enabling faster drug discovery and chemical synthesis workflows.

Flow chemistry and synthetic biology

In flow chemistry, where chemical reactions occur continuously within a stream of fluid, precise control over reactant injection and mixing is critical. AMF’s switch valves facilitate the automated delivery of reagents in defined sequences, ensuring that reaction conditions are tightly controlled. This enables more efficient reaction optimization and synthesis in fields such as organic chemistry and material science. Similarly, in synthetic biology, precise fluid management is required for orchestrating complex biological pathways, and switch valves ensure the accurate delivery of biomaterials and reagents.

Environmental monitoring and analysis

In environmental systems, such as water quality monitoring or air pollution detection, microfluidic switch valves help manage the sequential sampling of fluids or gases for real-time analysis. By automating the switching between multiple sample sources or analytical reagents, these valves streamline the analysis process, ensuring that accurate and reliable data is obtained with minimal manual input. The precise flow control also ensures that samples are preserved and contamination-free, enhancing the reliability of monitoring systems.

Optimizing fluid management with AMF’s switch valves

AMF’s microfluidic switch valves are designed for precision and flexibility, offering seamless integration with fluidic systems in various industries. Their reliability, speed, and adaptability make them the go-to solution for optimizing fluid control in automated workflows, recirculation, and small-volume injections.

To learn more about how AMF’s microfluidic switch valves can improve your fluidic systems, contact our team of experts today.

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