ibidi Pump System
7.3
Oscillatory Flow Experiments
For oscillatory flow applications, at least two Fluidic Units are required (one “primary” and one
“secondary”) to separate the switching events of the two valves (V1 and V2).
The primary Fluidic Unit has a long switching time
t
primary
for controlling the liquid levels in the
reservoirs. It switches before the reservoir runs dry, just as in an undirectional flow setup. During
t
primary
a constant air flow is applied to either the right or left reservoir of all Fluidic Units (primary
and secondary Fluidic Units).
The switching time of the secondary Fluidic Unit
t
secondary
can be set to a fraction of
t
primary
. The flow
direction in the channel connected to the secondary Fluidic Unit is reversed each time the secondary
pinch valve (V2) squeezes the tubing of the Perfusion Set.
One primary Fluidic Unit can control the air flow for multiple secondary Fluidic Units. With a single
pump one can run an experiment with up to three oscillatory secondary Fluidic Units. The primary
Fluidic Unit can only be used for unidirectional flow experiments. All secondary Fluidic Units can
apply oscillatory or unidirectional flow.
Table 23: Possible setups of oscillatory flow depending on the number of available Fluidic Units
Number of Fluidic Units
Possible setups
2 Fluidic Units
1 primary, 1 secondary
3 Fluidic Units
1 primary, 2 secondaries
4 Fluidic Units
2 primaries, 2 secondaries
or
1 primary, 3 secondaries
Important!
The lifespan of the Perfusion Set’s silicone tubing is dependent on the number of switching
events. The material fatigues after 500 000–1 000 000 pinching cycles. To prolong the lifespan
of the tubing, change the position of the tubing inside the valve slightly.
For best results, do not re-use the Perfusion Sets, because material fatigue is compounded by use.
7.3.1
Setting up Oscillatory Flow with Two Fluidic Units
The primary Fluidic Unit generates unidirectional flow, whereas the secondary Fluidic Unit generates
oscillatory flow. In addition to the two Fluidic Units and Perfusion Sets, the air pressure splitter set
for two Fluidic Units is required (Figure
20 cm
5 cm
20 cm
20 cm
5 cm
20 cm
Connection to the
pressure inlets leading
to the Perfusion Set
Connection to the
pressure outlets
of the valve block (V1)
Figure 40: Oscillatory Flow Kit for two Fluidic Units.
Instruction Manual
53
Version 2.6 (May 12, 2022)
