Modeling-Guided Design of Paper Microfluidic Networks: A Case Study of Sequential Fluid Delivery

Rath, D and Toley, BJ (2021) Modeling-Guided Design of Paper Microfluidic Networks: A Case Study of Sequential Fluid Delivery. In: ACS Sensors, 6 (1). pp. 91-99.

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Abstract

Paper-based microfluidic devices are popular for their ability to automate multistep assays for chemical or biological sensing at a low cost, but the design of paper microfluidic networks has largely relied on experimental trial and error. A few mathematical models of flow through paper microfluidic devices have been developed and have succeeded in explaining experimental flow behavior. However, the reverse engineering problem of designing complex paper networks guided by appropriate mathematical models is largely unsolved. In this article, we demonstrate that a two-dimensional paper network (2DPN) designed to sequentially deliver three fluids to a test zone on the device can be computationally designed and experimentally implemented without experimental trial and error. This was accomplished by three new developments in modeling flow through paper networks: (i) coupling of the Richards equation of flow through porous media to the species transport equation, (ii) modeling flow through assemblies of multiple paper materials (test membrane and wicking pad), and (iii) incorporating limited-volume fluid sources. We demonstrate the application of this model in the optimal design of a paper-based signal-enhanced immunoassay for a malaria protein, PfHRP2. This work lays the foundation for the development of a computational design toolbox to aid in the design of paper microfluidic networks. ©

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	ACS Sensors
Publisher:	American Chemical Society
Additional Information:	The copyright of this article belongs to American Chemical Society
Keywords:	Fluidic devices; Microfluidics; Porous materials; Reverse engineering; Transport properties, Biological sensing; Computational design; Enhanced immunoassay; Experimental trials; Micro-fluidic devices; Microfluidic networks; Paper-based microfluidics; Species transport, Paper
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Chemical Engineering
Date Deposited:	25 Feb 2021 10:34
Last Modified:	25 Feb 2021 10:34
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/68020

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