Cetiat (Centre technique des industries aérauliques et thermiques) is extending its expertise in the field of liquid flowmetering, for which it is Cofrac accredited.
As part of the European MeDD2 project (Metrology for Drug DeliveryFollowing on from a previous project aimed at improving the reliability of drug delivery, and a thesis carried out in collaboration with the Gulliver research unit of the Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes, the technical center has developed a new test bench on the nano-flow scale. This test bench, based on an optical method and comprising a high-resolution, high-speed camera combined with an image-processing algorithm, can measure flow rates down to 1 nl.min-1, i.e. about one drop per month.
This makes it possible to carry out measurements at very low flow rates for micro- and nanofluidic applications, such as lab-on-a-chip (a miniaturized device that integrates within a single chip one or more analyses that are commonly carried out in the laboratory). This category includes some of Covid-19's screening tests. It also enables medical devices such as infusion pumps, insulin pumps, etc. to be calibrated over the full range of use in terms of volumes and flow rates, and in line with the latest European and international directives.
Over- or under-dosing drugs can have serious consequences for the patient. Precise control of very low flow rates and ensuring their stability are crucial to administering the right amount of medication. Diabetics and premature babies, for example, need the utmost precision in knowing the dose delivered to them.
This new bench extends Cetiat's national reference in liquid flowmetering and microflowmetering to nanoflow.
It is funded to the tune of 180 k€ (including 50 k€ for equipment and 120 k€ for R&D) by the French metrology authority - led by LNE, Laboratoire national d'essais et de métrologie - and the European Union as part of the Euramet Empir program, which supports European metrology research projects.
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www.cetiat.fr