The microfluidic channel is consists of a surface micro-machined labyrinth, having one central inlet and two outlets. The device is approximately 100 x 120 um, with a channel depth of 10 um. The lid or seal to the top of the device is not shown, but is made by sealing another chip onto the top surface. This is referred to as a flip chip package. The labyrinth is intended to function as a pressure drop / pulse attenuator for blood flow. Blood flows into the central inlet and out through the two flanking outlets at a reduced pressure.
ANSYS Multiphysics or ANSYS FLOTRAN is used to used to model non-Newtonian fluid (e.g) blood flow through through a labyrinth micro-fluidic channel that forms part of a lab on a chip system. The solid model is imported from CAD, or built using the ANSYS solid modeler. The fluid domain is generated by surrounding the solid with a brick volume and then performing a Boolean volume subtraction operation. Only the fluid domain is meshed. Mesh is refined along boundary layer close to device walls. An initial pressure or velocity is applied to the fluid at the inlet. A table of pressure drop for various flow rates can then be determined.
The animated results show streamline color coded in pressure (red=high pressure, blue=low pressure), plus particles that follow the streamlines, particle length is proportional to fluid velocity. An approximate Guassian velocity distribution is seen across the width of the channel, highest velocity in the center of the channel.
