Characterisation of microfluidic devices

Silicon micromachining techniques have enabled the fabrication of a wide range of microfluidic components and systems. Given the small volumes of liquid and low flow rates involved, the accurate characterisation of such systems presents a challenge. To date many of the measurements have been performed manually; this is both time consuming and prone to inaccuracies. This paper describes an automated measurement technique and presents results for a surface micromachined valve.