Correction: Tiny Pumps for Diagnostic Chips
The original version of the article “Tiny Pumps for Diagnostic Chips” stated that Martin Bazant, a professor of applied mathematics at MIT, and his colleagues at MIT’s Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies “designed a new approach to capillary electro-osmosis.” Actually, this is an old method using DC fields. Bazant and his colleagues have been exploring the new method of AC electro-osmosis (ACEO), his design proving much faster than previous ACEO pumps.
Additionally, the article, written by Jennifer Chu, stated that “the team was only able to pump de-ionized water.” In fact, the lab’s design successfully pumped a variety of fluids, including dilute blood and a number of diluted buffer solutions, as well as de-ionized water. The problem with pumping undiluted blood is not an issue of viscosity, as originally mentioned, but of ion concentration, which Bazant’s group is now working to understand.
Finally, the article explained the pumping system as “ascending steps,” whereas the design is a flat substrate with raised steps on each electrode which lead to very fast pumping via electric fields that pull fluids through the chip.
The corrected version of the article can be found here.
The author regrets the errors made in the original article and apologizes to the researchers and to Technology Review’s readers for the above-stated misrepresentations.
Keep Reading
Most Popular

Anti-aging drugs are being tested as a way to treat covid
Drugs that rejuvenate our immune systems and make us biologically younger could help protect us from the disease’s worst effects.

A quick guide to the most important AI law you’ve never heard of
The European Union is planning new legislation aimed at curbing the worst harms associated with artificial intelligence.

It will soon be easy for self-driving cars to hide in plain sight. We shouldn’t let them.
If they ever hit our roads for real, other drivers need to know exactly what they are.

Crypto is weathering a bitter storm. Some still hold on for dear life.
When a cryptocurrency’s value is theoretical, what happens if people quit believing?
Stay connected

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.