Microfluidic channel network analysis of a lab-on-a-chip device using electrical circuit analogy

Abstract

This paper discusses the use of electrical circuit analogy for microfluidic channel networks in a Lab-on-a-Chip (LoC) device. L o C devices are comprised of microfluidic channels which serve various purposes such as mixing, droplet generation, and separation. As conventional fluid dynamic analysis for complex microfluidic geometries requires a considerable amount of computational time, the use of the electrical circuit analogy has become popular in recent years for microfluidic devices. By using Hagen-Poiseuille's law and Ohm's law analogies, the use of the electrical circuit analogy for different geometries with single phase and two-phase fluidit How systems are discussed in the research. Both C F D and electrical circuit simulations are conducted and results are compared in this paper. It was identified that the electrical circuit analogy is suitable for the single-phase fluid phase flow behaviour, whereas the analogy is not suitable to analyse the multi-phase flows.