System-level network simulation for robust centrifugal-microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems

Abstract

Centrifugal microfluidics shows a clear trend towards a higher degree of integration and parallelization. This trend leads to an increase in the number and density of integrated microfluidic unit operations. The fact that all unit operations are processed by the same common spin protocol turns higher integration into higher complexity. To allow for efficient development anyhow, we introduce advanced lumped models for network simulations in centrifugal microfluidics. These models consider the interplay of centrifugal and Euler pressures, viscous dissipation, capillary pressures and pneumatic pressures. The simulations are fast and simple to set up and allow for the precise prediction of flow rates as well as switching and valving events. During development, channel and chamber geometry variations due to manufacturing tolerances can be taken into account as well as pipetting errors, variations of contact angles, compliant chamber walls and temperature variations in the processing device. As an example of considering these parameters during development, we demonstrate simulation based robustness analysis for pneumatic siphon valving in centrifugal microfluidics. Subsequently, the influence of liquid properties on pumping and valving is studied for four liquids relevant for biochemical analysis, namely, water (large surface tension), blood plasma (large contact angle hysteresis), ethanol/water (highly wetting) and glycerine/water (highly viscous). In a second example, we derive a spin protocol to attain a constant flow rate under varying pressure conditions. Both examples show excellent agreement with experimental validations.