Pharos™ is a software package developed to meet this growing demand for custom solutions. The basic principle of Pharos™ is to enable the design of application-specific lab-on-a-chip systems rapidly and in a cost-effective and timely manner. As one of the many requirements for Biochip development PharosTM is designed to be the interface between the assay developer and the engineer and to become the front end for a seamless process from design to production.

PharosTM integrates state-of-the art system simulation software with microfabrication calculations, design principles and databases to allow collaborative development of microfluidic devices using a computer-aided engineering approach. This unique mating of automation tools for both design and prototyping increases the competitive capability of companies developing microfluidic devices and small MEMS foundries, by accelerating and unifying the product development cycle. This approach has demonstrated a dramatic reduction in design time and allows a rational method to translate concepts into functional microfluidic layouts.  PharosTM is a Design Automation Environment that links the key steps in the workflow for microfluidic biochip development. In the design of an integrated microfluidic immunoassay chip, Pharos™ reduced the computational time by two-orders of magnitude, as well as decreased the time to translate concepts and ideas into microfluidic layouts.

Pharos$trade Methodology

The Pharos&trade Design Automation Environment includes an easy-to-use Graphical User Interface (GUI) that is linked to a state-of-the-art system solver. The lab-on-a-chip system is assembled as a network of interconnected components. This layout can be created by a “drag-and-drop” of microfluidic components from a component library while rigorously adhering to real-estate requirements.  The system solver incorporates compact physical models that can describe the behavior of the component for various applications (e.g., mixing, separation, pumping) in terms of geometric parameters (e.g., length, width, depth, turn angle), and process parameters (e.g., flow rates, electric field). This allows the ability to analyze design performance by integrating component level information to predict system performance. If needed, the layout can be easily reconfigured so that it meets the specifications for the device.

Design Automation approach to Lab-on-a-Chip devices showing System Simulation Software as the heart of this approach

Features

Pharos™ has several unique features, which make it an ideal tool for biochip system designers:

• Requires no exhaustive training and support

• Intuitive and easy to use

• “Drag and Drop” assembly of the system from the Component Library

• Component Library that supports standard and user defined components

• Specification of materials, buffer and analyte properties

• Database of commonly used materials, biochemicals, buffers and analytes along with their physicochemical properties – including user-specified data

• Simulates fluid flow, electrokinetics, mixing, and biochemical reactions

• Postprocessing of the results in graphical and tabular formats

• Parametric analysis to optimize configurations

• Extremely fast – results within seconds to minutes

• Creates layout for system level documentation and fabrication requirements 

 

Pharos™ GUI Screenshot

Pharos™: Benefits and Impact

Pharos™ is ideally suited for design of microfluidic chips for a variety of applications, including drug discovery, high throughput screening and clinical diagnostics. The software enables design of new microfluidic assay platforms, as well as translation of existing assays from a traditional microwell plates to a microfluidic platform. This creates a significant time and cost impact in the product development process by allowing:

1. Rapid screening of new concepts

2. Reduced physical prototyping and testing;

3. Rational optimization of devices and processes;

4. Improved understanding of device failure;

5. Regulatory assistance; and

6. Faster time to market with better and cost-effective products.

As the applications and use of Lab-on-a-Chip devices grow, the need for making customized chips, both low volume for development and testing and high-volume low-cost chips for the marketplace is increasing. Meeting these demands necessitates design automation innovations that seamlessly integrate design and microfabrication processes to an extent now taken for granted in the semiconductor industry.  Pharos™ a Design Automation Environment that links the key steps in the workflow for microfluidic biochip development, viz. concept generation, design optimization, layout creation, and prototype fabrications is available to create a seamless bench top to production process. The software that is capable of simulating and incorporating into the design conditions resultant from and required by the end user. The software has the capability to quickly assemble a microfluidic layout from a library of components, and perform simulations in a rapid manner (between few seconds to few minutes) to assess the performance of the layout and then easily reconfigure the layout for improved performance.

References

1.      Bedekar, A.S., Krishnamoorthy, S., Siddhaye, S.S., Wang, Y., and Malin, S.F., "Design software for application specific microfluidic devices", 39th Annual Oak Ridge Conference, Harnessing New Technology for Clinical Diagnostics, St. Louis, MO (2007).

2.      Bedekar, A.S., Wang, Y., Krishanamoorthy, S., Siddhaye S.S., and Sundaram, S., "System-level simulation of flow-induced dispersion in lab-on-a-chip systems, in “Design Automation Methods and Tools for Microfluidics-Based Biochips”, Chakrabarty, K., and Zeng, J., Eds. Norwell, MA: Springer, (2006).

3.      Wang, Y., Bedekar, A.S., Krishnamoorthy, S., Siddhaye S.S., and Sundaram, S., “System-Level Modeling and Simulation of Biochemical Assays in Lab-on-a-Chip Devices”, J. Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, in press, doi - 10.1007/s10404-006-0123-6 (2006).

4.      Bedekar, A.S., Wang, Y., Krishnamoorthy, S., Siddhaye, S.S., and Sundaram, S., “System-level simulation of flow-induced dispersion in lab-on-a-chip systems”, IEEE TCAD, 25 (2), 294-304 (2006).