Method for the Computer-Aided Schematic Design and Simulation of Hydrogel-Based Microfluidic Systems

We present an approach to the schematic design and time-dependent simulation of microfluidic systems that are composed of basic components, such as pumps, channels, mixing junctions, and valves. For the schematic capture and the simulation, the Cadence Virtuoso design framework is employed, with the components modeled by Verilog-AMS. The pressures and flow rates are calculated with the help of the hydraulic analogy between electronics and fluidics. Signal flow quantities are used to express the flow of chemical concentration. Our focus is on systems employing chemofluidic transistors, i.e., hydrogel-based microvalves that facilitate autonomous flow control without the need for an external control unit. Our approach also covers layout editing by the use of programmed cells. The utility of the approach is exemplified by the successful top-down design of a chemofluidic oscillator circuit and by the functionally correct simulation of a chemofluidic SR flip-flop.