Chaotic micromixers for microfluidics
| Micromixing devices are an essential component of many microfluidic systems and are used to homogenise samples or reaction components or to ensure molecules reach sensors quickly and efficiently. There is a clear need for a micromixer which is simple, efficient, stable, robust, easily integrated into a larger system and requires minimal external power supplies. At the microscale there is essentially no turbulence, and diffusive effects tend to dominate. The key issue is that if random processes such as diffusion and turbulence are ineffective the only option is to understand where the molecules are going and to design a micromixer based on chaotic processes. |
|
Applied mathematicians at the University of Bristol have successfully employed dynamical systems theories to understand the problem of micromixing at a fundamental level. As a result it is possible to design new optimised micromixers which have chaotic particle trajectories over the whole region where mixing is required. Such micromixers have a significant reduction in islands of unmixed fluid and achieve much more efficient mixing. A software toolbox for optimising rate and quality of mixing is under development.
Key Benefits
- Design methodology can be used to optimise a wide class of chaotic micromixer
- Optimised mixing is achieved which is more rapid, stable, reproducible and accurate
- Micromixer designs can be adjusted and then rapidly re-optimised
Applications
Use in microfluidics systems for applications such as high throughput screening of drug targets, clinical diagnosis, biosensors, chemical synthesis and analysis and environmental monitoring.
IP Status
Granted European Patent 2029266; pending US patent application (publication no. 2010/0232255)
This technology is available as an Easy Access non-exclusive licence deal to companies and individuals
Find out more
For more information on this technology, please contact Rosalind Darby (rosalind.darby@bris.ac.uk) or call +44 (0)117 331 7338