Microfluidic Recirculation Valve

[LSW001]

    L-SWITCH™ 6-port/2-position

    The L-SWITCH™ is a 6-port/2-position bidirectional microfluidic recirculation valve used to handle liquids through different valve ports. It is ideal for liquid recirculation in cell culture applications, allowing to perform long-term unidirectional recirculation flow. 

    Fluigent L Switch
    Main benefits
    • Quick

      Valve actuation time

    • compact
      Compact

      Uses minimum bench space

    • Biocompatible
      Biocompatibility

      Biologically compatible

    • Accurate

      Low internal volume

    Features of Microfluidic Recirculation Valve 

    6-port/2-position

    Peripheral ports (numbered from 1 to 6) can alternatively be connected to the right or the left channels. The L-SWITCH™ is actuated by a motor that drives a rotor – where the fluidic path is engraved – against a stator – containing the fluidic paths.

    Fluid recirculation

    The L-SWITCH™ is a microfluidic recirculation valve that can be used as a cell culture tool : a small volume of buffer can be recirculated within a closed loop into the chip for several hours or days. Combined with our MFCS™ series or LineUp™ series it can achieve a highly stable flow with a positive impact on the shear stress.

    Workflow automation

    The microfluidic recirculation valve can be controlled by OxyGEN software

    or long-term experiments. Create a time-based protocol to set the actuation timing of the valve(s).

    Control software allows back and forth flow between the two vials while maintaining a continuous unidirectional flow-rate within the cell culture chamber.

    Related applications

    Smart control and automation of your fluidic path

    Discover Fluigent microfluidic valves, a set of compact instruments allowing to complexify and easily handle the fluidic path of your system. Once integrated in the set-up, the valves can be controlled in real-time and even without the requirement of a PC.

    How to perform fluid recirculation with the L-SWITCH microfluidic recirculation valve?

    Many microfluidic applications require expensive solutions to be recirculated at a controlled flow rate into a microfluidic system, such as cell cultures, cell injections, or simulation of blood capillaries with a controlled minimal mechanical stress.

    The L-SWITCH, combined with Fluigent’s pressure-based flow controllers, allows to recirculate a fluid in a closed loop, to run and automate long-term experiments, and to increase experimental versatility thanks to its high biological and chemical compatibility.

    The 6 inputs and 2 interchangeable configurations of the microfluidic recirculation valve are represented in the images below. According to the configuration, each input is connected to an output that is either on the right or left of its neighbor.

    We have demonstrated the ability to maintain a stable flow rate, without changing the yield stress, in a medium over cells during a long-term recirculation experiment using our L-SWITCH™. Check out our Technical Note to learn more!

    microfluidic recirculation valve
    Figure 1. Diagram of the two fluidic paths during a long-term experiment. The fluid always goes in the same direction within the chip.

    Benefits of the L-SWITCH microfluidic recirculation valve

    • No overpressure: Switch between 2 flow configurations in less than 100ms
    • No waste: No dead volume and low carryover volume.
    • Biocompatible: High chemical and biological compatibility
    • Reproducibility and Reliability: Perform identical recirculations over and over
    • Small buffer volume
    • Controlled shear stress
    • Long-term experiments
    • Flexible automation
    • Pressure and/or flow-rate control and limit

    Specifications

    PERFORMANCE

    Switching time100 ms
    Maximum pressureUp to 7 bar (100 psi)

    HARDWARE SPECIFICATIONS

    Internal volume660 nL
    Wetted materialsPEEK
    Dimensions70 x 90 x 150 mm
    Weight475 g

    CHEMICAL COMPATIBILITY

    Gas compatibilityDry, oil-free gas, air, any non corrosive or non explosive gas
    Liquid compatibilityAqueous solvent, oil, organic solent, biological sample

    OxyGEN

    Control in real-time, protocol automation, data record and export
    ver. 1.0.0.0 or more recent

    See the offer


    Software Development Kit

    Custom software application
    ver. 21.0.0.0 or more recent

    See the offer

    Fluid recirculation

    Expertise & resources

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