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

这个小企业技术转移研究（STTR）第一阶段项目提出了开发一个基于磁流体动力学（MHD）的微流体设备的设计工具。 SFC Fluidics独有的MHD微流体技术有可能在新兴的微流体应用市场中发挥重要作用，但这需要提供MHD微流体设备的应用开发设计工具。 目前还没有这样的设计工具。 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微流体系统的流动特性。 MHD微流体网络可以潜在地提供一种优雅的、廉价的、灵活的、可定制的流体平台，该平台将允许人们沿着可编程路径移动流体、搅拌液体，并促进化学和生物相互作用以及热循环。 虽然没有一种微流体控制方法适用于所有应用，但所提出的方法具有几个独特的优势，使其非常有前途，适用于许多应用。目前现有的许多实验室设备和仪器都可以在使用微流体的芯片实验室配置中实现。这种潜在的转变被一些人比作电子学从真空管到集成电路的转变。预期的优点包括提高速度和性能，减少材料使用，降低尺寸和功率要求，提高可靠性和鲁棒性，以及减少污染的机会。 作为一种使能技术，基于MHD的微流体技术可以改进各种设备的微流体技术，从而为工业，医疗和国防目的提供更小，更便宜，更便携和更灵敏的设备。 基于MHD的微流体技术可以以pl/min至ml/min的流速通过流体通道移动样品，而无需移动部件，也无需庞大的电源，使得该技术特别适合手持设备。 基于MHD的微流体技术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装置。

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.