Patent ID: 8475144

Claim:
A micropump device comprising: an entirely rigid first wafer and an entirely flexible second wafer attached to the first wafer, the first and second wafers enclosing a chamber therebetween having a predetermined volume; an entirely flexible third wafer being attached to the second wafer, each of the second and third wafers having an inlet section with an inlet valve component and an outlet section with an outlet valve component, both the inlet and outlet sections being in fluid communication with the chamber, the second and third wafers together forming a movable diaphragm which reduces the predetermined volume of the chamber when a portion of the diaphragm outside of the inlet and outlet sections is flexed for pumping a fluid out of the chamber, the second and third wafers collectively defining all components of the inlet and outlet valves, wherein the inlet valve comprises an inlet valve flap formed in the second wafer and an inlet valve seat formed in the third wafer, the inlet valve flap being in contact with the inlet valve seat and covering an inlet aperture therein in a closed inlet state, the inlet valve flap being configured to move away from the inlet valve seat toward an open inlet state which uncovers the inlet aperture in the inlet valve seat, and wherein the outlet valve comprises an outlet valve flap formed in the third wafer and an outlet valve seat formed in the second wafer, the outlet valve flap being in contact with the outlet valve seat and covering an outlet aperture therein in a closed outlet state, the outlet valve flap being configured to move away from the outlet valve seat toward an open outlet state which uncovers the outlet aperture in the outlet valve seat.