Journal: Biomicrofluidics

Article Title: MOPSA: A microfluidics-optimized particle simulation algorithm

doi: 10.1063/1.4989860

Figure Lengend Snippet: Predicted trajectories for a 10 μm diameter particle traveling through an array of triangular posts, obtained using either COMSOL Multiphysics (red) or MOPSA (green). While the COMSOL trajectory allows the particle to overlap with solid posts and stick permanently, the MOPSA trajectory does not. Additionally, the trajectory predicted by MOPSA exhibits the lateral particle displacement expected in DLD chips like this one.

Article Snippet: 4–6 Microfluidics researchers are increasingly using finite element analysis (FEA) software such as COMSOL Multiphysics (COMSOL Inc., Burlington, MA), Autodesk CFD (Autodesk Inc., Venice, CA), and Fluent (ANSYS Inc., Canonsburg, PA) to simulate and optimize their microfluidic chip designs.

Techniques:

Journal: Biomicrofluidics

Article Title: MOPSA: A microfluidics-optimized particle simulation algorithm

doi: 10.1063/1.4989860

Figure Lengend Snippet: Results from using the commercial finite element analysis software COMSOL Multiphysics to simulate the behavior of two sizes of cells flowing through a deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) microfluidic cell sorter chip containing an array of triangular posts. While this DLD chip was designed to separate cells based on size, in this simulation the small cell (3 μm diameter; green) and large cell (10 μm; red) follow exactly the same trajectory and are not separated. Additionally, the simulated cells sometimes impossibly overlap the chip's triangular posts (a) or stick permanently (b). Deficiencies like these make it difficult to accurately simulate flowing cells and other particles in microfluidics using existing commercial software tools.

Article Snippet: 4–6 Microfluidics researchers are increasingly using finite element analysis (FEA) software such as COMSOL Multiphysics (COMSOL Inc., Burlington, MA), Autodesk CFD (Autodesk Inc., Venice, CA), and Fluent (ANSYS Inc., Canonsburg, PA) to simulate and optimize their microfluidic chip designs.

Techniques: Software

Journal: Biomicrofluidics

Article Title: MOPSA: A microfluidics-optimized particle simulation algorithm

doi: 10.1063/1.4989860

Figure Lengend Snippet: (a) Fluid velocity field of the cross channel model obtained from COMSOL Multiphysics (dimensions in μm and velocity in m/s). (b) Simulated trajectories of a 50 μm diameter particle traveling through the cross channel model. In the trajectory calculated by the particle tracer in COMSOL Multiphysics (red outlines) the particle overlaps with the channel wall (an impossibility). However, in the trajectory calculated by MOPSA (green outlines) the particle remains separate from the channel wall and exits the intersection offset 18 μm from the COMSOL-predicted trajectory (a significant difference for a particle this size).

Article Snippet: 4–6 Microfluidics researchers are increasingly using finite element analysis (FEA) software such as COMSOL Multiphysics (COMSOL Inc., Burlington, MA), Autodesk CFD (Autodesk Inc., Venice, CA), and Fluent (ANSYS Inc., Canonsburg, PA) to simulate and optimize their microfluidic chip designs.

Techniques:

Journal: Biomicrofluidics

Article Title: MOPSA: A microfluidics-optimized particle simulation algorithm

doi: 10.1063/1.4989860

Figure Lengend Snippet: Using a modified version of MOPSA to simulate the behavior of a microfluidic chip for sorting cells and other particles by their densities. The chip simulated is based on published results22,23 and consists of two inlets that merge into a single horizontal channel before splitting into two outlets. The chip is oriented on its edge relative to Earth's gravity. (a) Fluid velocity field for the density sorter chip, obtained using COMSOL Multiphysics. (b) After modifying MOPSA using the approach of Haider and Levenspiel,20 MOPSA predicts the paths followed by four rigid spherical particles of different densities as they enter from the lower input and travel through the chip. As expected, particles with density greater than the fluid density of 1.0 g/cm3 exit the lower outlet, and particles with density less than the fluid density exit the upper outlet. This demonstrates that additional particle properties (like density) can be added to MOPSA when necessary.

Article Snippet: 4–6 Microfluidics researchers are increasingly using finite element analysis (FEA) software such as COMSOL Multiphysics (COMSOL Inc., Burlington, MA), Autodesk CFD (Autodesk Inc., Venice, CA), and Fluent (ANSYS Inc., Canonsburg, PA) to simulate and optimize their microfluidic chip designs.

Techniques: Modification