Buildup Tests

Buildup Testing of the HYDROMO’s Housing

The image on the left shows the setup of the automated pump system.  The image on the right shows 4 surfaces that represent 4 different regions of the HYDROMO’s surface.  These surfaces are made of polystyrene and contain micro features.  The surfaces were tested in the system for an eight hour period.
The image on the left shows the setup of the automated pump system.  The image on the right shows 4 surfaces that represent 4 different regions of the HYDROMO’s surface.  These surfaces are made of polystyrene and contain micro features.  The surfaces were tested in the system for an eight hour period.

To test the HYDROMO’s resistance to the buildup of solutes from urine, the Liquidus Diagnostics team developed an automated system that mimics the fluid flow in a urinal.  The automated pump system contains two tanks, each connected to a valve.  Valve 1 mimics the flushing of a urinal by hitting the HYDROMO’s surface with tap water.  Valve 2 mimics a person urinating on the surface.  For this experiment, a salt and distilled water solution was used to mimic urine.  Only salt was used because salt is the main solute whose buildup could affect the conductivity sensor’s readings.  However, the next test the company will conduct will use synthetic urine.  For this automated system, we can control the timing when the valves open and close, the volumes of fluids, and the concentrations of the solutions.  

 

Buildup Test Results

After running the automated pump system for eight hours, the surfaces were observed under a light microscope for salt buildup.  As seen in the light microscope image, no salt crystals were present.  Thus, the team concluded that the flushing of the urinal provides enough force the wash buildup off the hydrophobic housing. 

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