Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 18, 2026
05:33
Rapid Fabrication of Custom Microfluidic Devices for Research and Educational Applications
Published on: November 20, 2019
9.4K
An Open Software Platform for the Automated Design of Paper-Based Microfluidic Devices
Nicholas S DeChiara1, Daniel J Wilson1, Charles R Mace2
1Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, 62 Talbot Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
Scientific Reports
|November 28, 2017
Summary
AutoPAD is a new open-source software for designing paper-based microfluidic devices. This tool simplifies prototyping, offering a free alternative to commercial software for diverse biomedical and environmental applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Environmental Science
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Paper-based microfluidic devices are crucial for biomedical and environmental analysis.
- Prototyping these devices is often complex, time-consuming, and prone to errors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce AutoPAD, a novel cross-platform, open-source software tool.
- To provide a free, efficient alternative to commercial software for designing paper-based microfluidic devices.
Main Methods:
- Developed AutoPAD with inherent capabilities like automatic zone alignment and design refactoring.
- Demonstrated AutoPAD's versatility by recreating numerous existing device designs from scientific literature.
Main Results:
- AutoPAD enables rapid creation and modification of paper-based microfluidic device designs.
- The software's features facilitate the design of a wide array of device configurations.
Conclusions:
- AutoPAD significantly streamlines the prototyping process for paper-based microfluidic devices.
- The tool's open-source nature and capabilities make it broadly applicable across various research and application domains.
