Seminars

Joint ME/IE 8773-8774 Seminar

Application of Fundamental Transport Concepts to
Microfluidic Design

by

Victor H. Barocas , Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Director of Graduate Studies for Biomedical Engineering
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Wednesday, October 20, 2004
3:30-5:00 p.m.
Room 1130ME
Coffee and cookies will be available at 3:15 p.m. before and after the seminar

Abstract:

The world of microfluidics is, ironically, large and growing. Our group is interested in the design of microfluidic systems for protein management and other biological/biomedical applications, and our goal is to incorporate our understanding of heat, mass, and momentum transport, along with solid mechanics where appropriate, to design better device. The characteristic features of the microfluidic environment, notably the thinness of many structures, lead to restrictions on the design possibilities but also to the potential for much more efficient design tools. Two specific examples will be discussed: coupled lubrication and plate theory for design of flexible-top channel devices, and thin-domain models of diffusive mixing. In each case, the relevant theory and simplifications will be presented along with some computational analysis. Finally, some simple devices made in our lab will be discussed, along with a current industrial collaboration to produce a microscale protein crystallizer.

Bio - Victor H. Barocas received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Barocas was an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, from 1997-2000. Dr. Barocas has been a member of the faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Minnesota since 2000, and is a member of the Graduate Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. Dr. Barocas received the University of Colorado Junior Faculty Development Award in 1997, the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award from the University of Colorado Chemical Engineering Department in 2000, and the Digital Media Center Technology-Enhanced Learning Faculty Fellowship in 2000. Research topics include Optimized design of bioartificial tissue; mechanical modeling of viscoelastic fluid behavior in biological and nonbiological systems. Dr. Barocas has a number of refereed papers that have been published in archive journals.

Informal Faculty Luncheon: Wednesday, October 20, 2004, 12:00 noon. Meet in 1100 ME and walk to lunch with other faculty. Prof. Victor Barocas will be able to attend.