Title: Design practices used in the development of microfluidic devices: a services-based view

Authors: Katarzyna Panikowska; Ashutosh Tiwari; Jeffrey Alcock; Christopher Turner

Addresses: Manufacturing and Materials Department, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, UK ' Manufacturing and Materials Department, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, UK ' Manufacturing and Materials Department, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, UK ' Manufacturing and Materials Department, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, UK

Abstract: This paper presents the current state of microfluidic design from a practitioner's perspective. The capture of microfluidic design practice was facilitated through a combination of industry survey and expert interviews, allowing the authors to draw out models for microfluidic design. Exploration of the current practice of microfluidic design showed that formal design methodologies were not in use. This research has also found that sub-section interactions have been addressed in an inadequate fashion by current design practices. The work presented in this paper outlines the scope for further research in the development of a formal design methodology for microfluidics.

Keywords: microfluidics; design models; design engineering; sub-section interactions; design methodologies; design process; microfluidic devices; services; microfluidic design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2016.081594

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2016 Vol.30 No.6, pp.422 - 442

Received: 09 Dec 2014
Accepted: 02 Sep 2015
Published online: 17 Jan 2017 *

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