Advances in Microfluidic Systems and Numerical Modeling in Biomedical Applications: A Review

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Computational Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Microfluidic systems are key to advancing disease diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring.
• Numerical simulation is crucial for understanding microfluidic device behavior.
• Soft lithography and additive manufacturing are common fabrication methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review fabrication techniques, materials, and applications of microfluidic devices.
• To explore the role of numerical simulation in microfluidic research.
• To highlight organ-on-a-chip models and their simulation.

Main Methods:

• Review of fabrication techniques (soft lithography, additive manufacturing).
• Discussion of microfluidic applications (nucleic acid amplification, diagnostics, organ-on-a-chip).
• Analysis of numerical simulation tools (e.g., ANSYS Fluent) for fluid flow, mass transport, mixing, and diffusion.

Main Results:

• Microfluidic systems enable diverse applications from diagnostics to complex organ-on-a-chip models.
• Numerical simulations, including ANSYS Fluent, accurately predict microfluidic behavior.
• Geometric modifications and surface wettability influence sample mixing and transport.

Conclusions:

• Microfluidic systems and their numerical modeling significantly contribute to biomedical engineering.
• The integration of simulation tools enhances the design and application of microfluidic devices.
• Organ-on-a-chip simulations represent a rapidly growing and impactful research area.