Optimizing Micromixer Surfaces to Deter Biofouling

A surface patterned with angled ridges can be used to generate vortices in microfluidic devices. We investigate an application of this technology for biofouling mitigation, making use of the characteristics of the flow to break up clusters of cells as they form. We represent such a system computationally using a hybrid of bulk fluid simulated via the lattice Boltzmann method, and deformable vesicles, representing cells, simulated via the lattice spring method. This simulation methodology allows us to rapidly implement and test different surface patterns, and explore how their parameters can most effectively deter the accumulation of biofilms. By adjusting the shape of these ridges, we can increase the effectiveness of the surface across a range of shear values.