STTR Phase I: A Software Simulator For Magnetohydrodynamic-Based Microfluidic Networks

这一小型企业技术转移研究(STTR)第一阶段项目建议开发一种基于磁流体(MHD)的微流控器件的设计工具。SFC Fluidics独有的MHD微流控技术有可能在新兴的微流控应用市场发挥重要作用，但这需要针对MHD微流控设备的应用开发设计工具的可用性。目前还不存在这样的设计工具。在第一阶段，将开发一个软件程序，该程序将能够预测给定用户定义的设计参数的MHD微流控系统的流动特性。MHD微流控网络可以潜在地提供一个优雅、廉价、灵活、可定制的流体平台，使人们能够沿着可编程的路径移动流体、搅拌液体，并促进化学和生物相互作用和热循环。虽然没有一种单一的方法可以很好地适用于所有应用，但所提出的方法具有几个独特的优点，使其在许多应用中非常有前景。目前存在的许多实验室设备和仪器都可以在使用微流控的芯片实验室配置中实现。有些人将这种电势变化与电子学从真空管到集成电路的转变相提并论。预期的优势包括更高的速度和性能、更少的材料使用、更小的尺寸和功率要求、更高的可靠性和稳健性，以及减少污染的机会。作为一项使能技术，基于磁流体的微流体可以改进适用于各种设备的微流体技术，从而为工业、医疗和国防目的带来更小、更便宜、更便携和更灵敏的设备。基于磁流体的微流体可以通过流体通道以pl/min至ml/min的流速移动样品，无需移动部件，也无需笨重的电源，这使得这项技术特别适合手持设备。基于MHD的微流体的成功开发将进一步加深对微流体系统的了解，并将导致更先进的微流体设备。

This Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase I project proposes to develop a design tool for magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) based microfluidic devices. SFC Fluidics' exclusive MHD microfluidic technology has the potential to play an important role in the emerging microfluidic applications market, but this requires the availability of an application development design tool for MHD microfluidic devices. No such design tool presently exists. In Phase I, a software program that will be able to predict the flow characteristics of an MHD microfluidic system given user defined design parameters will be developed. MHD microfluidic networks can potentially provide an elegant, inexpensive, flexible, customizable fluidic platform that will allow one to move fluids along programmable paths, stir liquids, and facilitate chemical and biological interaction and thermal cycling. While no single approach to microfluidic control works well for all applications, the proposed approach has several unique advantages that make it very promising for many applications.Much of the current laboratory equipment and instrumentation existing today can potentially be implemented in a laboratory-on-a-chip configuration using microfluidics. This potential transformation has been compared by some to the transformation in electronics that occurred upon the transition from vacuum tubes to integrated circuits. The anticipated advantages include increased speed and performance, reduced materials usage, reduced size and power requirements, improved reliability and robustness, and reduced opportunity for contamination. As an enabling technology, MHD-based microfluidics could improve microfluidic technology for a wide variety of devices, leading to smaller, less expensive, more portable and more sensitive devices for industrial, medical, and defense purposes. MHD-based microfluidics can move samples through fluidic channels at pl/min to ml/min flow rates without moving parts, and without bulky power supplies, making the technology especially well suited for handheld devices. Successful development of MHD-based microfluidics will further knowledge about microfluidic systems, and will lead to more advanced microfluidic devices.