3D multiphysics simulation of a microchip using finite element method

Microfluidic technology has been increasingly used for biochemical synthesis and analysis, allowing for automation, integration and parallelization. Numerical modeling and simulation can improve theoretical understanding, reduce prototyping consumption, and speed up development. In this work, we set up a 3D finite-element COMSOL-based model to analyze the multi-physical dynamics of a microfluidic system. The hydrodynamics of single-phase laminar flow in the microfluidic system with variant chamber profiles, fluid-structure interaction (FSI) of fluid and an immobilized single cell within cell trapping component have been studied. Also, the process of on-chip heat transfer has been investigated. The velocity and pressure field of fluid flow, the force and stress on cell surface and the temperature distribution of the integrated device have been presented and discussed. The reported approach is able to optimize microfluidic design, reveal the coupled dynamics in complicated multi-physical field, and therefore holds the potential for improving microfluidics application in fundamental research and clinical settings.