The design and layout of microfluidic devices have become considerably complex tasks, because a huge number of physical parameters need to be considered, which all depend on and affect each other. Thus far, this complexity is frequently addressed by a "trial-and-error" scheme, i.e. by fabricating prototypes, observe their behavior, and refine the design until a working design is obtained -- a time-consuming and rather costly process. We present automatic software tools which aid designers in these tasks. Those methods include, e.g., an efficient simulator (relying on the 1D analysis model and utilizing analogies of microfluidic devices to electronic circuit) which allows to validate a design before the first prototype is fabricated. Case studies showed that this allows to reduce the design time from 30 days to a single day for certain practical relevant devices. Besides that, also software tools are presented that allow for an automatic generation of specifications (e.g., in terms of AutoCAD description) for frequently recurring components such as meanders (see http://iic.jku.at/eda/research/meander_designer/). By this, designers do not need to manually consider all needs, constraints, or fabrication settings anymore, but can determine the desired design in a push-button fashion.
Forschungs-