Exploring the design efficiency of random microfluidic mixers

Abstract

With the development of microfluidic technologies, the increasing application of microfluidic devices in various research fields has brought up the urgent need for device performance simulation before fabrication to increase the design efficiency and reduce unnecessary trials and errors. As a fundamental function unit, the mixing performance is critical for a successful microfluidic device. Here in this study, we present a method of increasing the design efficiency of random micromixers. We have first generated the random libraries of micromixers constrained to different rectilinear grid configurations from 3×3 to 8×8 using MATLAB, and finite element analysis was used to simulate the performance of the micromixers. Then the most appropriate grid configuration was investigated on the aspects of fluid velocity and concentration distribution, simulation cost, and micromixer chip size. Our study results showed that the 5×5 grid configuration of random micromixer is an optimal balance to achieve the most abundant fluid velocity and solute concentration, while has acceptable simulation cost and reduced chip size. In summary, the 5×5 grid configuration is appropriate to provide enough random micromixer designs to meet user desire, not only time-effective but also cost-effective.