AN INTEGRATED MULTI-FUNCTIONAL MICROFLUIDICDEVICE WITH PUMPING, PARTICLE SORTING,AND MIXING FUNCTIONS
Date
2021-09-08
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
Currently, multiple functions are performed in microfluidic devices in a separate manner or in a manner that needs unnecessary transportation from one location, where one function is performed, to another, where another function is performed. There is a need
to integrate these functions holistically to eliminate unnecessary steps and improve the performance of microfluidic system. This thesis was devoted to design and fabricate a
microfluidic device that allows pumping, mixing, and particle separating functions to be performed simultaneously (or by eliminating any unnecessary transportation).
A design concept by introducing membranes into microfluidic devices was proposed based on Axiomatic design theory. Simulation was performed via the multi-physics
software COMSOL and was validated with acceptable accuracy by experiments. The UV light lithography and soft lithography were employed to fabricate the device. A microfluidic
device consisting of a main channel height of 50 μm, a main channel width of 30 μm, and membranes with a thickness of 10 μm, lengths of 300 μm and 200 μm was fabricated using Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).
The experiments were conducted to test the feasibility of the expected functions. The microbeads with diameters of 15 μm, 3 μm, and 200 nm were used to mimic the circulating
tumor cells (CTC), normal blood cells and anti-cancer drugs, respectively. The experiment demonstrated the device effectiveness in terms of the mixing and particle separating
functions. Unfortunately, the pumping function was not measured with the instrument available.
There are two main contributions. First, in the field of microfluidics, especially microfluidic
device technology, the device is novel to the best of the author’s knowledge. Existing devices perform more than one function but have a distinct time stamp to each of the functions and unnecessary transportations between each function unit. Second, in the field of biomedical engineering, this thesis provides a proof that the size- and deflection-based principle to separate two groups of particles, CTCs from the blood stream in this case, is working. Subsequently, it is promising to further shape it to a practically viable
device to separate CTCs from the blood stream.
Description
Keywords
Multi-functional microfluidcs, Pumping, Separating, Mixing
Citation
Degree
Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Department
Mechanical Engineering
Program
Mechanical Engineering