Massive parallel digital microfluidic biochip architecture for automating large-scale biochemistry assays

Micro/nano fluidic biochips are used to automate the clinical diagnosis, DNA sequencing, drug discovery, and real-time bio-molecular recognition. One of the attractive usages of biochips is Lab-On-Chip (LOC). Lab-on-Chip technology is a promising replacement for biomedical and chemical apparatus. Two main types of micro fluidic-based biochips are used: continuous- ow-based and digital micro fluidic biochips (DMFB). In DMFBs, liquids, in the form of droplets, are controlled independently and concurrently over a two-dimensional array of cells (or electrodes). Digital micro fluidic biochips are of high ability to congure and for fault tolerance. In this paper, a new architecture for DMFB with an aim of making a balance between the parameters of flexibility, efficiency, cost, and completion time of biological experiments is presented. In the new architecture, a FPGA-based structure is used, which increases flexibility and parallelizing assay operations. Experiments show that the execution times of scheduling, routing, and simulation have improved by about 2.54%, 18.76%, and 12.52%, respectively, with 21% overhead cost in the number of controlling pins.