A low cost, high performance insulin delivery system based on PZT actuation

A low driving voltage, low cost, high performance insulin delivery system based on PZT actuation is presented in this paper, which consists of two functional units, namely, micropump unit and electronic control unit. The PZT micropump is the core of micropump unit and is the key base to ultimately realize insulin precision delivery of the whole system. The electronic control unit is the important auxiliary unit for the realization of the whole system function. To obtain a higher working performance under low voltage, a serial structure with two chambers and three check valves is adopted in the design of PZT micropump. In place of silicon and glass, main parts of micro-pump unit are manufactured using the polymers which have good biocompatibility, stability and low cost. Through the systematic experimental test for the prototype of PZT insulin delivery system in lab, the maximum backpressure of 14.64 kPa is recorded at applied voltage of 36 V and working frequency of 160 Hz, the maximum flow rate of 5.74 ml/min is obtained in the condition of 36 V and 300 Hz. Under the voltage of 36 V and working frequency of 200 Hz, the micro-dosage pumped by PZT micro-pump displays a good linear characteristic with the number of driving impulses. The minimum resolution of insulin delivery can obtain 3 × 10⁻⁴ ml (0.03 U insulin at the concentration of 100 U).