DIY Syringe Pump Comparison

DIY Syringe Pump Comparison

In this brief review, we will analyze the feasibility to build your syringe pump using do it yourself methods available in the literature. Also, we will examine the facts and capabilities about these devices; we will show the pros and cons of making your own syringe pump. Finally, professional syringe pumps offer robustness, and in the following sections will present the features that make them the best option.

What is a do it yourself syringe pump?

The fabrication of a DIY syringe pump is a homemade laboratory device that allows the syringe movement through micro step motor and controller with Arduino or Raspberry boards. It is not an easy task to develop one of your own because this is a complex electromechanical device. However, it is possible to create and manufacture a homemade syringe pump with 3D printing technology. Additionally, the controllers (Arduino and Raspberry) work through python interfaces. The hold devices can be as cheap as 5% of the cost of a commercial syringe pump. Nevertheless, the time effort and trial and error practice are critical to obtaining a reproducible device. Additionally, the futures for microfluidics will require the expertise of the user.

Do it yourself vs. Commercial syringe pump

Considering one of the better DIY syringe pump reported which is Nema 17, the price is affordable at 100 USD. However, the flow of this type of syringe is fast as 2.1 mL/ and the linear force as 200 N with an Accuracy of 5%, a reproducibility of 2.1% are the best results obtained with this low-cost syringe pump. If we compare these features with Chemyx syringe pump Fusion Touch 4000 we can find that with an accuracy of 0.35% and reproducibility of 0.05% the Chemyx syringe pumps are 10 times more accurate and 40 times more reproducible2. Furthermore, the step resolution is outstanding with 16-nanometer steps. If the user wants to achieve microfluidic control with a DIY device, the price can rise to 720 euro by the implementation of a pressure control system1⁠.

Conclusions

It is tempting to save costs by DIY devices, and for small applications with lower demands, this can be a good idea. However, Chemyx provides the best syringe pumps optimized for its valuable customers due to its facility to provide the most reliable and controllable flux no matter the viscosity or the lower flow rate. Such applications cannot be reached by DIY syringe pumps, for that matter if a user is looking to work with new developments the above mentioned Chemyx syringe pumps are the best choice over unoptimized DIY syringe pumps.

References

  1. Frank, P., Haefner, S., Elstner, M., Richter, A., 2016. Fully-Programmable, Low-Cost, “Do-It-Yourself” Pressure Source for General Purpose Use in the Microfluidic Laboratory. Inventions 1, 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions1020013
  2. Wijnen, B., Hunt, E.J., Anzalone, G.C., Pearce, J.M., 2014. Open-source syringe pump library. PLoS One 9, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107216

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