A novel PDMS/Parylene microvalve with three dimentional dome petal shape

We present a novel microvalve for the treatment of a pathological condition, hydrocephalus. This microvalve is made of PDMS/Parylene composite layer which has a 3-D dome petal shape. This geometry enables the microvalve to open easily for forward flows and to close for backward flows. New microfabrication techniques such as dome-shaped SU-8 mold fabrication and laser machining for valve opening have been investigated to build the proposed microvalve. The pressure-drop vs. flow rate characteristic of the fabricated microvalve was investigated using in-vitro flow tests.