Design and optimization of a fluid flow splitting device for low-flow applications

Area of Science:

• Microfluidics
• Fluid Dynamics
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Microfluidic devices require precise control of fluid flow at the microliter scale.
• Perfusion of multiple inlets often necessitates expensive, complex flow controllers or commercial splitting systems.
• Existing simple splitters fail to achieve even flow distribution at low microfluidic flow rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate a microdevice for reproducible and even fluid flow splitting in microfluidic systems.
• To overcome the limitations of existing flow splitting methods in terms of cost, complexity, and performance.
• To provide a simplified tool for experiments requiring evenly divided flow streams.

Main Methods:

• Experimental analysis of physical principles governing low-flow fluid splitting.
• Design and fabrication of a novel microdevice (µ-Split).
• Multiphysics simulations and testing of various device geometries.

Main Results:

• The µ-Split device enables reproducible, even flow splitting across a broad flow rate range (10 uL/min to > 2.5 mL/min).
• Identified key design and fabrication features crucial for achieving high splitting precision.
• The µ-Split integrates seamlessly into existing microfluidic setups.

Conclusions:

• The µ-Split offers a cost-effective and simplified solution for achieving even flow distribution in microfluidics.
• This microdevice enhances the capabilities of flow-controlled experiments by minimizing footprint and complexity.
• Provides a valuable tool for researchers working with multi-inlet microfluidic systems.