This microfluidic resistance calculator application note describes:
Elveflow’s online microfluidic calculator has been designed to help researchers and especially non-specialists of the microfluidics field.
Check out our dedicated tutorial with Kalyan Veerendra!
The hydraulic resistance describes the resistance to flow that occurs as a result of a volume flow through hydraulic elements such as tubings, valves and… microfluidic channel! It is defined as the ratio of pressure drop to volume flow and needs to be estimated for any items of your microfluidic system.
The microfluidic channel or tubing resistance results in pressure drop within the microfluidic circuit. Indeed, each component of the microfluidic system is likely to counteract the volume flow of your solution as soon as it is being injected.
Nevertheless, it should be noted that a huge discrepancy of microfluidic resistance between the tubing and the channel could impact the final flow rate obtained in your microfluidic channel and the precision of the flow control.
It should be noted that every microfluidic chip and setup are different. Those differences will likely have an impact on the calculations performed using the tool.
It is likely that the actual parameters would vary based on the real world experimental conditions.
Therefore, each time you make adjustments to your parameters, make sure to recalculate the results.
Here, we use a generic microfluidic system to give you a basic understanding of the parameters to select the right components for your setup.
Here are some of the many applications made easier by this calculator:
For more understanding of the working principle of pressure-driven flow controlled microfluidics, watch the following video.
All those elements will impact the calculation of your flow rate and the microfluidic resistance of your system. For more insight into those parameters, please refer to this application note.
In the following, the microfluidic hydraulic resistance of your system will be estimated for each part of your microfluidic setup from the tubing to the channel resistance.
Please refer to the application note: how to implement/convert the fluid properties inside my reservoir.
Either you can select from the drop down menu of the commonly used fluids in microfluidics or custom parameters for viscosity and density.
For the sake of this demo, we will use medium with 10% serum, commonly used.
In the former application note, the tubing resistance was considered as negligible and small compared to the channel microfluidic resistance. Our tool compares the resistance in the channel and the tubing to determine which is the most resistive.
Tubing microfluidic resistance
To calculate the microfluidic resistance of the tubing:
In the case you are using or intend to use different tubing diameters in your experiment, it makes sense to enter details about the tubing with the smallest inner diameter to have the highest hydraulic resistance.
The hydraulic resistance of your channel will be estimated with the channel geometry that needs to be detailed in the Part 3, calculator results.
We can see the calculator automatically updates the calculations with data from Part 2.
The shear stress result is in accordance with the experimental data given by the IBIDI datasheet.
Also, the calculator gives you recommendations on:
How can we help you?
Name*
Email*
Message
Newsletter subscription
We will answer within 24 hours
By filling in your info you accept that we use your data.
Do you want tips on how to best set up your microfluidic experiment? Do you need inspiration or a different angle to take on your specific problem? Well, we probably have an application note just for you, feel free to check them out!
Microfluidics is the science of handling small amounts of liquids, inside micrometer scale channels. Discover how to handle fluids for your microfluidic experiments.
This application note demonstrates a smart use ouf Elveflow's Pressure sensor and sensor reader for Direct-Ink-Writing flow control.
Learn how to set up your development environment for Elveflow products with this comprehensive tutorial.
This user guide will show you how to run microfluidic colocalization studies of single molecule spectroscopy.
Study the impact of molecular transport on cell cultures with a cross flow membrane chip and microfluidic instruments.
Precise liquid injection system for manipulation of small volumes of fluids using the MUX distribution and the MUX recirculation valve.
This application note explains how to set up a robust and reproducible microfluidic platform for liposomes assembly with improved encapsulation efficiency and reduced polydispersity in size.
Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are considered as quasi 1-dimensional (1D) carbon nanostructures, which are known for their outstanding anisotropic electronic, mechanical, thermal and optical properties.
This application note describes how to combine and synchronise liquid perfusion and imaging using an Olympus spinning disc confocal microscope together with an Elveflow pressure-driven flow controlled microfluidic system.
Mixing is a crucial step for several microfluidic applications like chemical synthesis, clinical diagnostics, sequencing and synthesis of nucleic acids
This application note describes how microfluidic can be employed as a nanoparticle generator based on the example of PLGA bead generation.
Learn how to perform PLGA nanoparticle preparation with Elveflow instruments and a microfluidic chip
This application note explores the basic principle of pneumatic pumps and a flow controller based on the basic principle of pneumatic pumps, known as pressure driven flow control. It also demonstrates the applications of pressure driven flow control in a range of industrial & research fields.
The application note describes how to convert various units of shear stress and/or pressure from one to another: shear stress conversion from Pascal, atmosphere, and N/m²...!
Get a quote
Collaborations
Need customer support?
Serial Number of your product
Support Type AdviceHardware SupportSoftware Support
Subject*
I hereby agree that Elveflow uses my personal data Newsletter subscription
Message I hereby agree that Elveflow uses my personal data Newsletter subscription