Rapid Calibration of Nanoliter per Second Flow Rate by Image Processing Technology

The need for high-precision microflow control is increasingly evident across various fields. For instance, microsatellites employed in gravitational wave detection require flow supply systems with a high accuracy of up to 0.1 nL/s to achieve on-orbit attitude control and orbit control. However, conventional flow sensors are unable to provide the necessary precision in the nanoliter per second range, and thus, alternative methods are required. In this study, we propose the use of image processing technology for rapid microflow calibration. Our method involves capturing images of the droplets at the outlet of the flow supply system to rapidly obtain the flow rate, and we used the gravimetric method to verify the accuracy of our approach. We conducted several microflow calibration experiments within the 1.5 nL/s range and demonstrated that image processing technology can achieve the desired accuracy of 0.1 nL/s while saving more than two-thirds of the time required to obtain the flow rate within an acceptable margin of error compared to the gravimetric method. Our study presents an efficient and innovative approach to addressing the challenges of measuring microflows with high precision, particularly in the nanoliter per second range, and has the potential for widespread applications in various fields.