Why Peristaltic Pumps Are the Best Choice for Shear-Sensitive Fluids?

When dealing with sensitive biological materials, viscous chemicals, or sensitive emulsions in an industrial or lab environment, the nature of the pump used can be the deciding factor to the process. Shear-sensitive liquids must be handled with care in order to preserve integrity, activity, and consistency.

This is whereperistaltic pumps shine with accuracy, cleanliness, and little mechanical stress. On this blog here, we demonstrate how peristaltic pumps are ideally suited for the handling of shear-sensitive fluids and how Microlit products can provide fluid purity and accuracy for industries and laboratories.

What Are Shear-Sensitive Fluids?

Shear-sensitive fluids are fluids that degrade or lose their properties when they come in contact with high shear forces. They are:

• Biological fluids (e.g., blood, enzymes, proteins)

• Emulsions (e.g., cosmetic creams, lotions)

• Cell suspensions (e.g., bacterial or mammalian cells)

• Polymer solutions

When under pressure from traditional mechanical pumps like gear pumps or centrifugal pumps, these fluids can denature, lyse cells, or emulsify. It is important to preserve their structural integrity, particularly in biomedical and pharmaceutical use.

How Peristaltic Pumps Work?

A peristaltic pump works by squeezing an elastic tube with rolling rollers in such a manner that it creates a peristaltic motion. Compression of the liquid in the forward direction is created by this process without ever touching the internal mechanical parts of the pump.

That is the reason why this mechanism will find its optimal application in sensitive fluids:

• No fluid-to-component contact

• Low shear force with strength.

• Minimize risk of contamination

• Simple control of flow-rate and reversible flow

• Easily maintained and tubed

The Shear Advantage: Gentle Yet Effective

Conventional pumping systems shear fluids as they pass through tiny gear teeth or impellers. Such forces can:

• Lyse cell membranes within biological specimens

• Break emulsions apart into their phases

• Change the chemical composition or the viscosity of multifaceted formulations

On the other hand, peristaltic pumps achieve smooth and consistent pressure so that cells are not damaged and formulations are not interrupted. Therefore, they are extremely suitable for application in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food & beverage.

Applications That Depend on Shear-Safe Pumping

Let us focus more specifically on industries and applications that make use of the peristaltic pump's soft flow behavior:

1. Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Laboratories

Fermentations and bioreactors will likely employ sensitive mammalian or bacterial cell cultures. Growth, activity, or yield can be influenced by minimal perturbation. A laboratory peristaltic pump supplies convenient sampling and nutrient addition with no cell breakage, and the results are high-purity.

2. Diagnostics and Healthcare

In analytical equipment or automated liquid-handling stations, the accuracy and non-contaminating function of peristaltic pumps provide reliable dispensing of patient samples or reagents. Peristaltic pumps are able to dispense small volumes of liquids carefully, which is particularly important in microfluidic platforms and analysers for immunoassay.

3. Cosmetics and Personal Care

Emulsions of creams, lotions, and serums consist of sophisticated formulations which break down when stressed. These can be transferred in filling and processing without disrupting their form by utilizing a micro peristaltic pump, thereby maintaining texture and performance.

Accuracy, Control, and Contamination-Free Transfer

One of the major advantages of peristaltic pumps is that they offer fluid isolation. Since the fluid never comes into contact with anything inside the pump except the tubing, cross-contamination is impossible. This makes them highly applicable to:

• Aseptic procedures

• Single-pump multi-fluid handling by a single pump

• Recurrent fluid resuscitation

And their ability to precisely deliver microlitre to litre-scale quantities is an analytical process revolution. When combined with an e-dispenser or automated fluidics, peristaltic pumps offer scalable and programmable solutions for laboratories of all sizes.

The Role of Tubing: A Critical Factor

While the pump mechanism is doing the moving, the tubing is doing all of the work in the way of contacting the fluid. Selecting the proper tubing material, i.e., silicone, Tygon, or pharma-grade, is required to provide chemical compatibility and minimal shear stress.

Microlit systems are equipped with biocompatible and sturdy tubing solutions that are suitable for sensitive applications. Low absorption, long tubing life, and high flexibility are ensured in our design to provide maximum pump performance.

Microlit's Commitment to Precision and Purity

At Microlit, we appreciate the finesse of today's laboratory procedures. Our peristaltic pump systems find application with clients requiring precision, simplicity, and security in dealing with sensitive or high-value liquids.

Whether you are in a regulated laboratory, cleanroom manufacturing facility, or research environment, Microlit has:

• Touchscreen operation for simplicity

• Variable speed motors for precise control of flow

• Calibration is used for reproducibility

• Space-conserving design to make optimal use of valuable bench real estate

And to address ultra-high-precision liquid handling, our micropipette offerings complement peristaltic systems with direct-volume transfer in high-priority applications like sample preparation, titrations, or micro-dosing.

Best Practices for Operating Peristaltic Pumps with Shear-Sensitive Fluids

To get the best out of your pump system, adopt the following guidelines:

• Use the right tubing: Choose tubing diameter and material based on fluid type and flow rate requirement.

• Avoid sudden turns: Gentle curves minimize resistance and stress on the fluid.

• Maintain moderate speeds: Peristaltic pumps operate at high speeds, but moderate speeds are ideal for shear-sensitive fluids.

• Tubing checks at regular intervals: Regularly replace tubing to prevent fatigue or leaks.

• Regular calibration: Maintain flow accuracy by periodically calibrating your system, especially when a change of fluids is made.

Conclusion

To laboratories, R&D units, and manufacturing facilities dealing with sensitive liquids, a peristaltic pump is not a privilege but a necessity. Its pumping maintains fluid integrity, averts contamination, and requires minimal maintenance, so it's the best when dealing with sensitive materials.

At Microlit, precision engineering comes to your bench. Our comprehensive portfolio of fluid handling tools, ranging from micro peristaltic pumps to micropipettes, is engineered to meet the challenging needs of laboratories today and tomorrow's advances.

Whether you are scaling up a biotech process or optimizing an analytical assay, rely on Microlit because every drop counts.