A discrete model for Networked Labs-on-Chips: Linking the physical world to design automation

Labs-on-Chip integrate and minimize the functionality of complete conventional laboratories on a single chip. An upcoming and especially biocompatible realization are Networked Labs-on-Chips (NLoCs). In NLoCs, small volumes of reagents, so-called droplets, flow in an immiscible fluid in closed channels. An external pump applies a force to this immiscible fluid driving the droplets through the channels of the NLoC. However, the exact flow behavior of droplets in NLoCs physically depends on many factors and interdependencies. This makes it cumbersome to manually determine the taken path of a droplet and the time it needs to pass the NLoC. For the same reason, also almost no automated design solutions exist for NLoCs yet. In this work, we present a discrete model enabling designers and design automation tools to efficiently determine the droplets' path and positions. The precision of the proposed model is evaluated by a systematic examination for basic building blocks of NLoCs as well as for a complete architecture. The resulting model can be used for manual inspections of the droplets' behavior in an NLoC and, additionally, provides the basis for automated design solutions.