Numerical investigation of a passive biomimetic microfluidic pump

Microfluidic systems are foundational to modern biosensing technologies, yet achieving efficient distributed pumping within these platforms remains a significant challenge. Interestingly, biological systems such as lymphatic and venous valves offer a solution from nature for effective fluid transport through miniature channels operating at low Reynolds numbers. In this study, we use numerical simulations to investigate the effective design of a microfluidic pumping device which uses flexible bileaflet valves to provide for continuous passive flow of a viscous fluid through a microchannel. We discuss the effect of system parameters such as valve leaflet length and stiffness on the resulting flow and pumping performance. This research moves us closer to implementation of an inexpensive method of providing passive distributed pumping in microfluidic devices such as wearable biosensors and also provides insights into the performance of analogous physiological venous valves.