OB1 MK4

Microfluidic Flow Controller

1 to 4 channels pressure & vacuum microfluidic flow controller

PRESSURE AND VACUUM CONTROL

Accurately control pressure to push and pull liquid

FLOW CONTROL

Pair it with a flow sensor for accurate flow control

UNMATCHED PERFORMANCE

High precision and responsiveness for your flow regulation

MICROFLUIDIC AUTOMATION

Automate and control your microfluidic experiment

Talk to an expert

Features & Benefits

What is a microfluidic pressure-driven flow controller?

Cutting-edge Microfluidic Flow Controller

Designed by scientists for scientists, the versatile and powerful OB1 MK4 pressure controller provides the perfect flow control for all kinds of applications.
Whether you need pressure or vacuum, low or high flow rate, for short or week-long processes and experiments, the OB1 MK4 is the ideal instrument for your microfluidic needs.

OB1-schematics

Check out our OB1 animation
here!

The best performance on the market: Piezoelectric Technology

The Elveflow OB1 MK4 is the only microfluidic flow control instrument worldwide to use piezoelectric regulators. The piezoelectric technology gives you 20 times more precise and 10 times faster flow control than any other flow controller on the market.

OB1 microfluidics flow controller pressure outlets elveflow

Customizable & upgradable: 1 module, up to 4 channels, 5 pressure & vacuum ranges available

The OB1 MK4 can be configured according to your needs. In one piece of equipment, you can have up to 4 pressure and/or vacuum channels (and other customized options).
If your needs change, the instrument can be upgraded later, in any way you want.

Get the fastest flow rate control when
paired with a flow sensor

Connect the OB1 MK4 to a standard liquid flow rate sensor
(MFS)
or our premium Coriolis flow sensor
(BFS, suitable for both liquid and gas)
to directly control the flow rate in your chip. The system continuously calculates the pressure and maintains the desired and constant flow rate.

Sensor reading unit for Elveflow products with software

Full control software, SDK, and UART communication

Single and intuitive software to get started in a few clicks and automate complex and long experiments.
The SDK libraries allow you to control the OB1 MK4 using your own code while connecting it to other instruments.
The MK4 is also equipped with UART communication protocol in addition to the ESI and SDKs control, allowing it to communicate with most control systems, such as Mac, Linux, Arduino, PLC.

OEM version available

The OB1 MK4 can be used on a bench setup or embedded in your own product.
Elveflow has a solution for every step of your research & development.
Discover our
OB1 MK4 OEM solution.

Videos

Publications

For all publications featuring our products, please click here.

For all application notes based on our product, please click here.

For reviews of our product, please click here.

This table summarizes the main specifications of the Elveflow OB1 MK4 pressure controller.

OB1 MK4 CHANNEL PRESSURE RANGE	0 to 200 mbar¹ (0 to 2.9 psi)	0 to 2,000 mbar¹ (0 to 29 psi)	0 to 8,000 mbar¹ (0 to 116 psi)	-900 to 1,000 mbar¹ (-13 to 14.5 psi)	-900 to 6,000 mbar¹ (-13 to 87 psi)
Pressure stability (2)	0.015% FS 30 µbar (0.0004 psi)	0.005% FS 100 µbar (0.0014 psi)	0.006% FS 500 µbar (0.007 psi)	-900 to 500 mbar: 0.005% FS 100 µbar (0.0014 psi)500 to 1,000 mbar: 0.007 % FS 150 µbar (0.0021 psi)	-900 to 2,000 mbar: 0.005% FS 350 µbar (0.05 psi)2,000 to 6,000 mbar: 0.007% FS 525 µbar (0.076 psi)
Response time (3)	down to 10 ms
Settling time (4)	down to 50 ms
Minimum pressure increment	0.006% FS 12 µbar – 0.00017 psi	0.006% FS 120 µbar – 0.0017 psi	0.006% FS 480 µbar – 0.007 psi	0.0064% FS 120 µbar – 0.0017 psi	0.0061% FS 420 µbar – 0.006 psi
Pressure supply	1.5 bar to 10 bar Non corrosive, non explosive, dry and oil-free gases, e.g., air, argon, N2, CO2, …
Input vacuum (5)	/	/	/	Any value from -0.7 to -1 bar Compatible with vacuum pump or vacuum line	Any value from -0.7 to -1 bar Compatible with vacuum pump or vacuum line
Liquid compatibility	Non contact pump Any aqueous, oil, or biological sample solution.

Non-contractual information, may be changed without notice

⁽¹⁾ Max pressure value might vary by +/- 2.5%
⁽²⁾ Pressure stability (standard deviation) measured over the full pressure range with an external high accuracy pressure sensor (Druck DPI150) ⁽³⁾ Time required to reach 5% of the setting point. Depends on the computer operating system ⁽⁴⁾ Time required to reach 95% of the set point. Volume dependent – Measurement was done on 12 mL reservoir for a set point from 0 to 200 mbar ⁽⁵⁾ A vacuum source is mandatory for calibration and use of dual channels even if the channels are to be used in pressure only.

Electrical Specifications
Input Voltage (V)	24V
Typical Power (W)	12W
Provided Power Supply Specifications	Supply Voltage Range (V): 100 to 240 VAC Supply AC Frequency (Hz): 50 to 60 Hz Maximum Output Current (A): 1.5 A Maximum Output Power (W): 36W
Interface	USB Type B
Communication Type	Serial
Software Control	ESI
Sensor Connection	One M8 4-pins connector per channel
Compatibility	Elveflow sensors: MFS, MPS, MFP, MBD Custom sensors: 5 to 24V supply voltage, 0 to 10V readout voltage
Triggers	Input and Output TTL signal 0V or 5V
Other
Casing dimensions	(length x width x height): 240 x 223 x 80 mm
Weight	1.4 kg to 2.9 kg

Non-contractual information, may be changed without notice

The performances of the OB1 (for example, the pressure stability) is tied to the full operating pressure range.

In order to achieve optimum performance, we recommend our users to choose the smallest pressure range that covers the required experimental pressures.

By coupling a MFS or BFS flow sensor to the OB1 flow controller, you can use the software to directly control the flow rate by directly inputting the flow rate value.

The software uses a PID loop to control the flow rate by setting automatically the pressure to reach the requested flow rate. Doing so, you can benefit of the best of the two worlds to get a fast and precise (pressure driven) volume flow rate (flow sensor).

Pressure and flow sensors can be connected directly to the OB1 MK4. The sensors can be used in passive mode (for monitoring only) or active mode (to enslave).

Yes, you will need a pressure source to work with the OB1 pressure controller.

You can either use the air supply of your lab if there is one, use a compressed air bottle or use an air compressor. Elveflow has selected a compressor that is perfectly fitted for most application using the OB1.

If your OB1 has a vacuum channel, you will need a vacuum pump. Elveflow also proposes a selected pump that work perfectly with the OB1.

Click here

Unboxing video

ESI is Elveflow’s dedicated software interface, built to make life easier for experimenters. It is perfectly adapted for the control of simple and complex setups and workflow automation. It integrates several modules that make time-consuming and painful tasks simple. It comes with SDK libraries to control the Elveflow system from your own code.

The OB1 control window allows to:

Visualize the key parameters of each channel:
- the command pressure
- the output pressure
Visualize sensor output when one is connected to the OB1 (a flow rate sensor on the first channel in the video presented below)
Set any pressure or flow rate pattern (predefined or custom)
Easily switch to the flow rate control mode (sensor mode)
Use the pause/play button to preset the parameters on each channel and launch them simultaneously
Save configurations to gain time in the future or automate your workflow thanks to the sequencer
Open a graph to visualize and save data
Launch and use dedicated modules to simplify specific experimental tasks

Testimonials

“We are using the device extensively at the moment and I have been quite impressed by its capabilities”
Dr. Hayden Taylor, University of California, Berkeley, United States
OB1 flow controller user
“I found the systems quite robust and easy to connect and use”
Martino Chiara - deMello Group, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Droplet pack user
“The OB1 is performing so well and we are very impressed by its behavior so far.”
Eric Pedrol Ripoll, Facultat de Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain
OB1 flow controller user
“The Elveflow OB1 enables us precise pressure and flow control and measurement in various microfluidic and lab scale projects from tissue engineering to membrane filtration analysis. ”
Arne Lüken, Chemical Process Engineering at RWTH Aachen, Germany
OB1 flow controller user
“We are the proud owners of an OB1 we bought about a decade ago. It is still going strong. We would like to ask for a quote for another OB1.”
Dr. David Tadres, University of California, Santa Barbara
OB1 flow controller user
“After an easy installation, we are now using the OB1 and flow sensors routinely and are very satisfied by both the flow stability and the software's user-friendly interface.”
Nelson BC Serre and Matyáš Fendrych, Cell Growth Lab, Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Charles University, Czech Republic
OB1 flow controller user
“We have used Elveflow's products for about 9 years now and are big fans, and have made lots of recommendations to friends in Wageningen and the Netherlands. They are so easy to use, reliable and the pricing is sharp. We are very happy customers! ”
Prof. Dr. Joris Sprakel, Physical Chemistry and soft Matter, Wageningen university, Netherlands
OB1 flow controller user
“I've extensively used Elveflow systems in the World's most Brilliant X-ray source. Elveflow systems are precise, controlled and adaptive to many samples under adverse conditions.”
Pushparani Micheal Raj, PhD, Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Lund, Sweden & MAX IV Laboratory, Bavaria, Germany
OB1 flow controller user
“We use Elveflow instrument in several projects and they are great to work with. The LabVIEW implementation was also very successful. I hope more people can get to know the OB1 system.”
Seongjin Park, Senior Engineer, Illumina
OB1 flow controller user

Advantages of Pressure control in microfluidics

The specified settling time of 40ms
High stability and pulseless flow
Possibility to handle fluid volumes of several liters
Enable both flow and pressure control when used with a flow meter

For more details about Pressure driven flow control, please read this application note.