Computer aided design method and system for developing a microfluidic system

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to design automation techniques and more particularly to the design of customized microfluidic systems using a microfluidic computer aided design system. In one embodiment of the present invention the system includes a synthesis module for synthesizing software of a design into a component level description of the design. The design has a plurality of microfluidic components, and the component level description has symbols associated with the plurality of microfluidic components. The system further includes a design capture module, including a schematic entry tool, for placing and connecting the symbols on a schematic according to the design; and a functional analysis module for functionally simulating selected symbols of the schematic.

1 . A method, using a computer system, for designing a microfluidic circuit schematic comprising a plurality of microfluidic component symbols associated with a plurality of microfluidic components, said method comprising: 
 placing a first component symbol of said plurality of microfluidic component symbols on a schematic, wherein said first component symbol has associated functional information;    placing a second component symbol of said plurality of microfluidic component symbols on said schematic; and    connecting said first component symbol to said second component symbol.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of microfluidic component symbols are multilayered symbols.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of microfluidic components comprise structures having an elastomeric material.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first component symbol comprises a first indication for a control channel and a second indication for a fluid channel.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said first indication is placed on a first layer and said second indication is placed on a second layer.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first component symbol functions as a NAND gate.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first component symbol functions as a S-R latch.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of microfluidic component symbols are selected from the group consisting of channel symbols, pump symbols, valve symbols, chamber symbols, multiplexer symbols, bridge symbols, macro symbols, user defined symbols, and layer interconnect symbols.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first component symbol comprises a first control channel symbol and a first fluid channel symbol, said second component symbol comprises a second control channel symbol and a second fluid channel symbol, and said connecting comprises connecting said first fluid channel symbol to said second fluid channel symbol.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first component symbol comprises a first control channel symbol and a first fluid channel symbol, said second component symbol comprises a second control channel symbol and a second fluid channel symbol, and said connecting comprises connecting said first control channel symbol to said second control channel symbol.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said connecting includes a design rule check.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein selected component symbols of said microfluidic circuit schematic include functional information and are functionally simulated by applying control signals to said selected component symbols to show functional connectivity.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein functionally simulating selected component symbols comprises defining functional information of said selected component symbols as including Boolean expressions with operands based on control ports of the selected component symbols which control connections to input ports and output ports of the selected component symbols.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein functionally simulating selected component symbols comprises simulating actuation of said selected component symbols using control signals generated by a Boolean based language with timing constraints.  
     
     
         15 . A method for capturing a design of a microfluidic system using a computer aided design tool, said method comprising: 
 placing a first symbol representing a first component of a plurality of microfluidic components on a schematic, said first component comprising a first fluid channel and a first control channel, said first symbol having related functional information;    placing on said schematic a second symbol representing a second component of said plurality of microfluidic components, said second component comprising a second fluid channel and a second control channel; and    connecting said first symbol to said second symbol.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said first symbol is an IDEF0 symbol.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said second symbol is another IDEF0 symbol and said connecting includes connecting an output of said IDEF0 symbol to an input of said another IDEF0 symbol.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said second symbol is a multilayered symbol having a first channel on a first layer and a second channel on a second layer.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said first symbol includes a first indication for said first fluid channel and a second indication for said first control channel.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said plurality of microfluidic components are selected from the group consisting of channels, pumps, valves, chambers, pressure oscillators, and layer interconnects.