Microfluidic networks: design and test of a pure hydrodynamic switching function

In this paper we propose the Hydrodynamic Controlled microfluidic Network (HCN) paradigm which is based on a purely hydrodynamic microfluidic switching function. The HCN paradigm can be applied to realize programmable microfluidic devices, such as for example Labs-on-a-Chip (LoCs), that by exploiting hydrodynamic effects only, route chemical (or biological) samples in a microfluidic network, in a controlled way. Such microfluidic devices are expected to be highly flexible and inexpensive, and thus to become extremely competitive with alternative solutions for chemical/biological analysis and synthesis or cheap sensing. The paper provides the design rules of the microfluidic circuit implementing the switching function and illustrates through simulations the feasibility of the proposed idea.