Pukyong National University

PKNU Biomedical Engineering student's Paper on SCI-level International Journal

- Han Won's paper on <Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical>

△ Han Won is taking a picture holding a portable pump that can power microfluidic devices. ⓒPhoto Lee Sung-Jae (PR Team)

A thesis by Han Won (4th grade), an undergraduate student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Pukyong National University (President Jang Young-Soo), was published in the SCI-level international scientific journal <Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical> (IF: 7.46).

Han Won recently published the paper 'Wind-up Precision Pump for Portable Microfluidics' (Advisory Prof. Shin Joong-Ho) as the first author in this journal, which ranks in the top 4.7% in the field of Instruments & Instrumentation.

Jointly conducted by Professor Yang Seung-Yoon of Pusan National University and Professor Choi Seong-Yong of Hanyang University in this research, Han Won developed a portable pump that can drive microfluidic devices without electricity.

In microfluidic technology used for disease diagnosis, cell experiments, development of new materials, drug development, and microparticle production, a precise syringe pump is essential to power microfluidic devices. However, since most syringe pumps are expensive, bulky, and use electricity, there have been limitations in carrying them or using them in the field.

The palm-sized portable pump 'PALM Pump' developed by Han Won through this research uses the principle of clockwork. The pump's mainspring can be continuously pumped for up to 1 hour with a single winding, and it has been shown that the accuracy and precision are comparable to those of precision pumps on the market.

The research team produced fine droplets containing radioactive substances by driving microfluidic devices with this pump and proved the performance of the pump through an experiment to confirm the anticancer effect of the produced radioactive fine droplets.

Professor Shin Joong-Ho said, "The pump developed through this research is small and light, and it is convenient to operate just by winding the mainspring without electricity, which not only helps the commercialization of microfluidic technology, which is having difficulties in portability and commercialization, but also it is expected that it can be used in various industries." <Pukyong Today>

△ 'PALM Pump', a portable pump driven by microfluidic devices.