microVISC VROC portable sample viscometer

The microVISC VROC is a small, portable sample viscometer designed for industries such as bio/pharmaceuticals, chemicals, electronics, food and beverage and OEM equipment manufacturers.

The viscometer takes measurements in only 90 s. It has a user-friendly interface and does not require cleaning.

VROC systems are a hybrid of microfluidic and MEMS (micro-electrical-mechanical systems) technologies. Compared to conventional viscometers and rheometers, microfluidic devices require only a small sample volume of fluid and can impose high deformation rates without entering strongly inertial flow regimes.

Microfluidic systems completely enclose the fluid, preventing evaporation and contamination and allowing for easy sterilisation. They are flexible, giving enhanced analysis throughput with serial or parallel arrays, and are able to measure at high shear rates.

According to the company, products built on this technology platform characterise flows completely, enabling cost-effective flow management through smart process quantification. The technology reportedly quantifies ‘true’ flow properties, rather than giving qualitative indication of ‘apparent’ properties, the company says.

MEMS are an integration of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators and electronics on a common silicon substrate, created by using micro-fabrication technology. Microfluidics deal with the behaviour, precise control and manipulation of microlitre and nanolitre volumes of liquids, enabling high-throughput analysis.