The syringe pump is an adjustable device generating a flow rate by volume displacement of liquid in the syringe body. The flow rate is calculated according to the section and the speed of the piston movement Q=S_{piston}\times \nu _{piston}.
The pressure applied to the assembly is not controlled and depends on its fluidic resistance. It can reach high values (>100 bar) for small volume syringes, high flow rate, or high fluid resistance assembly (viscous liquids and small channel dimensions).
With a syringe pump, the stabilization time can be long. This may be caused by the compliance of the walls of the syringe used, and to a lesser extent, by the type of tubing used.
![Photography of the red InfusionONE Syringe pump](https://blog.darwin-microfluidics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/The_InfusionONE_Syringe_pump_NE-300-1-300x166.webp)
![Photography of the red SyringeONE Syringe pump](https://blog.darwin-microfluidics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/The_SyringeONE_Syringe_pump_NE-1000_from_New_Era-1-300x197.webp)
Figure 1: (A) The InfusionONE Syringe pump NE-300 and (B) The SyringeONE Syringe pump NE-1000 from New Era
Features of NE-300 and NE-1000 New Era syringe pumps
The InfusionONE Syringe pump NE-300 from New Era
The InfusionONE 1-way syringe pump is easy to use with a 3-step operation. Unit, speed, and direction of flow are user-programmable.
- Syringe volume: up to 60 mL
- Syringe inside diameter range: from 0.100 to 50 mm
- Flow range: from 0.73 µl/hr to 1500 ml/hr
- Flow accuracy: +/- 1 %
The SyringeONE Syringe pump NE-1000 from New Era
The SyringeONE pump is fully programmable standalone or through a computer. According to the user’s needs, the SyringeONE is available in different versions depending on the number of channels and linear force. We will focus here on the standard version (NE-2000).
- Syringe volume: up to 140 mL
- Flow range: from 8 pL/h to 1961 mL/min
- Flow accuracy: +/- 1%
Flow accuracy measurement tests
For our tests, we chose to compare two New Era syringe pumps: the NE-300 and the NE-1000. The New Era Pump Systems series of syringe pumps are a cost-effective solution to dispense a precise control of fluid. Our aim here is to compare the accuracy with which the two syringe pumps deliver the flow from a set value of flow rate (from 50 to 500 µl/min). A syringe of 2.5 mL is used on each syringe pump, the accuracy is measured using the Elveflow MFS4 flow sensor.
![Flow-rate stability graph of the syringeONE and the infusionONE at 50ul/min](https://blog.darwin-microfluidics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Graph_of_the_deviation_from_the_value_of_50_l-min-1.webp)
At low flow rates, the two syringe pumps seem to have the same sensitivity, especially after a stabilisation period of about 4 seconds. Overall, at 50 µl/min, both syringe pumps deliver flow rates 5% higher than the set value.
![Flow-rate stability graph of the syringeONE and the infusionONE at 100ul/min](https://blog.darwin-microfluidics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Graph_of_the_deviation_from_the_value_of_100_l-min-1.webp)
For an intermediate value of 100 µl/min, the NE-1000 seems more appropriate as it has a flow profile that is generally less than 2% deviation from the value of 100 µl/min.
![Flow-rate stability graph of the syringeONE and the infusionONE at 500ul/min](https://blog.darwin-microfluidics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Graph_of_the_deviation_from_the_value_of_500_l-min-1.webp)
Finally, for high values, the NE-1000 syringe pump remains the most accurate instrument in terms of flow rate with an overall deviation profile of less than 2%.
Obviously, the choice of the instrument and its accuracy will depend on your application. New Era syringe pumps are robust and high-performance instruments, with an excellent price/performance ratio.