Dolomite, a world leader in microfluidic design and manufacture, has inked a partnership with Sensirion, a leading sensor manufacturer, to offer a range of microfluidic flow meters to measure ultra-low liquid flow rates in the lab. This technology allows for sensor-actuator integration in Dolomite's range of microfluidic products and therefore precise flow rate control. The compact and lightweight devices operate with total media isolation in combination with low internal volume and no moving parts for an extremely fast and accurate performance. Incorporating the innovative CMOSens technology, stable and precise results are obtained with every measurement.

With the ability to accurately measure flow rates from 0.05 to 4000 µl/min, and minimal energy consumption, this technology provides a highly cost-effective measurement method. The low flow sensors are capable of operation at high pressures with high resolution within a large dynamic range to achieve excellent accuracy as well as highly repeatable results and offset stability.

The unsurpassed CMOSens sensor technology from Sensirion combines a highly precise thermal sensor element for exact temperature control with an A/D converter circuit and digital signal processing to ensure an extremely sensitive response is obtained. All measured data is fully calibrated via an internal microcontroller. Such outstanding results are obtained due to the integration of highly sensitive thermo piles into an extremely fast, miniaturised thermal microsensor element. With all of the precise signal conditioning of a single CMOS chip, mass flow measurements of the liquid flows on the µl and nl scale are made possible. Furthermore, excellent chemical resistance and biocompatibility make this compact sensor ideal for a wide range of microfluidic applications.

These microfluidic flow rate sensors are available as part of a lab kit, which includes all of the software and fittings required for immediate use. The easy-to-use software enables simple capture, visualisation and exporting of any measurement data. For high volume solutions highly efficient microsensors based on the same technology are available.

Dolomite has offices in the UK, US and Japan and distributors throughout the globe. Its clients range from universities developing leading-edge analytical equipment to manufacturers of chemical, life sciences and clinical diagnostics systems.
Excellent microfabrication facilities that include cleanrooms, precision glass processing facilities and applications labs were established with £2 mn in funding from the UK Department of Trade and Industry's Micro and Nano Technology (MNT) Manufacturing Initiative. Dolomite's expertise includes top quality engineering and scientific staff with strong backgrounds across the broad range of disciplines required for success in bringing microfluidics applications to the market, including chemistry, biotechnology, control system development, electronics, physics and instrument design and supply.

The Swiss sensor manufacturer Sensirion AG is a leading international supplier of CMOS-based sensor components and systems. Its range of high-quality products includes humidity and temperature sensors, mass flow meters and controllers, gas and liquid flow sensors, and differential pressure sensors. Sensirion supports its international OEM customers with tailor-made sensor system solutions for a wide variety of applications. Among others, they include analytical instruments, consumer goods, and applications in the medical technology, automotive and HVAC sectors. Sensirion products are distinguished by their use of patented CMOSens technology. This enables customers to benefit from intelligent system integration, including calibration and digital interfaces. Sensirion's competence as a reliable OEM partner is underlined by its quality management system, which was certified in March 2008 in accordance with the ISO/TS 16949 standard.