Patent 7625475 was granted and assigned to Lockheed Martin on December, 2009 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A microfluidic pump has an outer housing such as a capillary tube, a nanotube, and an ionic fluid or alcohol. The nanotube is placed inside the capillary tube, and the capillary tube is filled with the ionic fluid or alcohol. A voltage source is connected to the nanotube, and upon application of a voltage to the nanotube, the ionic fluid or alcohol is pumped through the capillary tube.