Developing a Successful Microfluidic Platform: Techniques and Tips for Overcoming Common Design Pitfalls

07 Oct 2019, at 19:30-22:00 in Coronado Island, California

Developing a Successful Microfluidic Platform:  Techniques and Tips for Overcoming Common Design Pitfalls

Venue: Marriott Coronado Island -- Coronado Room 2

Scope of this Short Course

This course will examine the process and requirements of designing and developing a microfluidic platform.  System design considerations that will be discussed include material selection for devices, detectors, fluid control, connections, and integration of the device with other instrumentation and components.  System constraints and special considerations for functionality at the microscale regime will be examined. Topics include optics, sensors, fluid manipulation, temperature control, chemical compatibility and trouble shooting.  Common pitfalls of mainstream approaches will be discussed, as well as alternative solutions for them.  This course is suitable for scientists, technicians, engineers, managers and all who are interested in learning how to design and develop a microfluidic product for commercialization.

Learning Objectives

• Learn design and development strategies for microfluidic platforms
• Learn how to address the challenges of working with small fluid volumes
• Learn how to think broadly for entire system considerations

Topics Covered

• Material selection for the microfluidic device
• Manufacturing considerations and chemical compatibility
• Detector consideration including microscopy, refractive index, UV/vis, mass spec
• Fluid control and connections
• Active and passive fluid delivery mechanisms
• Pump performance requirements and dependencies
• Device ports – fluid entry and exit considerations
• Tubing and fitting types – why are there so many and when to implement a given type
• System integration and control at the platform level
• PC, PLC, or custom microprocessor control
• Firmware & software considerations
• Common pitfalls of mainstream approaches such as bubbles, backpressure, temperature, and detection issues, along with alternative solutions
• Tips and tricks for design optimization
• Case studies of microfluidic product successes and failures

This course is a must-attend for researchers from academia and industry working in the field of the microfluidics and the key emphasis is on the pathway to commercializing a microfluidic platform.

The course instructor is a professional in the microfluidics field and understands the technical and engineering requirements of microfluidics and this course provides a deep dive into this space.