NEW Viscometer-on-a-Chip (VSS)

RheoSense, Inc. has introduced a line of NEW chip based viscosity measurement instruments for precise and repeatable characterization of various liquids.

These NEW Viscometers-on-a-Chip eliminate the need to send samples for accurate viscosity measurements to an off-site laboratory for batch-to-batch consistency checks.

Further, confusion in data interpretation encountered when comparing results from different viscosity measurement systems to laboratory instruments data is no longer a factor as the chip measures the "true viscosity" and user-friendliness eliminates operator dependent measurement errors.

The result is a significant reduction in hidden operation costs from improved efficiency in quality control and decision making.

The chip measures the viscosity and the temperature as the test liquid flows through a micro-channel on the chip and an integrated micro slit rheometer. Non-Newtonian viscosity is accurately extracted by a rigorous 2D “Rabinowitch correction”, which is automatically performed after each measurement.

The chip then sends measurement data for data display and analysis to a microcontroller based read-out circuit, which communicates to a computer through RS232 or USB ports. The result is a measured material viscosity identical to that produced by sophisticated laboratory rheometers.

A precise liquid dispensing pump is supplied as an integral part of the system or if an accurate dispensing system is already in place, then all that is required is to simply integrate the chip into the flow path lines.

Wide shear rate ranges up to 10⁶ (1/s) can be measured over a range from 10^-2 ~10⁴ Poise. Higher viscosity can be also measured with stiffer chips. Small sample volumes as low as 20 µl can be handled easily.

For applications where the viscosity of the test liquid is constant or varies slightly, the chip can be adjusted to read the flow rate (flow sensor) instead. If repeated quality control measurements are required, an application specific custom design is available.