Optimisation of a multi-purpose microfluidic system for bio-medical applications

CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) methods play a key-role in the design and optimization of modern bio-medical devices. Drug delivery systems efficiently provide small quantities of drugs to the desired human body target tissue. Numerical simulations are performed with the purpose to optimize a microfluidic drug delivery system capable of delivering fluids both by continuous (laminar) flow and by generating fluid droplets. Two types of fluids, a buffer and a drug solution are used, and the flow mode solely depends on the fluids properties and their flow rates. Drugs fluid droplets (either liquid droplets contained in a bio-fluid, such as blood or liquid droplets dispersed in the breathing air - aerosols) and reduced laminar flow (by means of hydrodynamic focusing) of drugs within biological buffers are presented. The results of the CFD simulations provide the necessary information and can be used to develop or improve drug delivery systems for clinical applications.