A novel design of bioinspired retinal vascular network based microchannel for LOC applications

Abstract

Abstract Microchannels are identified as important components that transfer liquids within a minute area for microfluidic applications. Pressure controlling is an efficient and most accurate way to introduce a certain velocity of equipment. In this study, we described the simulation analysis for microfluidic channels with three inlets and one outlet and went on to optimize it to two inlets and one outlet with appropriate velocity profiles and pressure profiles. The grooves in the microchannel draw inspiration from the vascular network of the retina which is a dynamically interconnected structure composed of three planar vascular layers with bends and grooves at its tip ends. Different fluids enter the inlets and are supposed to get mixed as much as possible before leaving the outlet. The geometry needs to be modified to increase the mixing of the two fluids within 0.05 sec. A passive approach to induce mixing of the biological samples is facilitated by increasing the distances. The fluids travel longer distances for mixing because of diffusive and inertial forces for which the volumetric fluids travel long before mixing takes place. The channel length is increased by introducing groove along the center of each channel to increase the length for the mixing.