The Development Of Micro-fluidic Layout Design Software

With the development of micro-fluidic technology, its application also graduallyincludes biological manufacturing, biomedicine, and clinical diagnosis, etc. Microfluidicchip has many merits, such as small volume, sample few, and low price, etc. Butat present the majority micro-fluidic layout designs are still monopolized by manyoverseas companies under the influences of long periods of micro-fluidic layout design,much manpower, high funds for the research and development and so on. Therefore toget rid of this unfavorable situation and help more domestic enterprises take a place inthe field of micro-fluidic chip, we need to develop a set of micro-fluidic layout designsoftware to make the process more conveniently, faster, and more practically.The micro-fluidic layout design software provides to the users a platform of layoutdesign and system which operated by multiple micro-fluidic chips. It decreases thedevelopment cost and period, reducing the difficulty of micro-fluidic device design withparameterization design to simulate the device. It also makes the design process mucheasier, advantageous for the revision, and much more visibility. Therefore we develop aset of design software based on the micro-fluidic which has great practical significanceand economic efficiency.In order to help the users complete the task of design more conveniently andeffectively, this article uses VC as the development language in the micro-fluidic layoutdesign software, and the vector management is carried on the database in the componentlibrary management. Simultaneously we provide plentiful document output formats, sothe users may examination expediently and manufacture the micro-fluidic chip. Thisproject makes progress in following aspects:1. Application of layout design software is introduced, and then the key point andcontent for development are determined.2. Previous research of the micro-fluidic layout design software. The previousdemand analysis of the micro-fluidic layout design software is determined, thehumanization operation interface is designed by referring other similar software, whichcan makes users more conveniently to operating, easier to study, and also morepractically. Flexibility is enhanced and processing speed is increased by using themodularization management mode. The development platform is determines, which isthe database selected, and each module function is distributed.3. The parameterization research. The components of micro-fluidic layout is parameterized, the parameterization definition is carried out based on micro-channel. Itis designed that chip layout of cm, i.u. (international unit), Inches, Microns, Mils andmm. According to the overall size which is determined in advance, it is increased thatthe Straight channel, the T channel, the Y channel, theΨchannel, the cross channel, the90 degree curve channel, the fluid room, the connector, the end mark, the Z channel, theseparation fluid room, the membranous circuitous valve, the big fluid room, the in/outport and so on, which is needed in the micro-fluidic chip layout design. New microfluidiccomponent which is defined by the users and used frequently may append intothe IP library of micro-fluidic and take the global management. Considering the multilayeredquestion of micro-fluidic chip, we use the layered management principle forlayout here.4. Research the development of computer graphics and image. The raster image andthe vector image are distinguished, and the application field is analyzed, judges thesuperiority. We study the method and the step of how to transform the BMP bitmap tothe EPS vector image. Through studying the structures of two forms, we read thebitmap information from BMP file, and carry on gradation processing and two valuesprocessing, so we can prepare for vectorization process of image. Then the graphics andthe character sign are separated from layout, and thinning processing is taken. In thesituation of each graphics skeleton expressed by a pixel, the line and the circle are fit.The vector information is got, finally is inputted into the EPS document. In order tostrengthen the file processing function of micro-fluidic layout design software, wecould output plenty of layouts into the CAD document format by researching thestructure, and depending upon the method of how to transform the bitmap to the vectorimage. Thus it decreases the middle point of the micro-fluidic chip production, andreduces the chip production period.