Magnetically driven MWCNT-Fe3O4-water hybrid nanofluidic transport through a micro-wavy channel: A novel MEMS design for drug delivery application

Abstract

BackgroundMicrotechnology-based advanced drug delivery technique has significantly advanced, but experiences a few technological hurdles to achieve their full potential. With the fast advancement in diagnostic modes, drug delivery methodology is not restricted to only immunology or wound healing, but rather applicable to gene delivery, and cancer treatments which demand a controlled discharge of targeted drug transferring. Again, nanofluids are acknowledged in nano-biomedical technology. The heat-generating magnetic nanoparticles due to a high magnetic field would locally heat up tissue and thus detect hyperthermia. Microfluidic control released drug delivery technology offers a unique technology to implement nanofluidic drug delivery. With such an objective, this investigation explores the MWCNT-Fe3O4-water hybrid nanofluidic transport through a micro-wavy channel. Along the channel’s perpendicular axis direction, a uniform magnetic field is operated. During the numeric exercise, three different micro-wavy channel textures are designed to facilitate the drug delivery application in MEMS-based medical devices. The channel's entry and exit sections are planar surfaces, while the middle section is engineered to have a wavy texture. The non-wavy sections are insulated, whereas the wavy walls are heated. MethodsThe major flow equations after performing non-dimensionalization are resolved with the Galerkin-finite-element scheme. Both numerical and experimental assessments are performed with existing literature to establish the current simulation-based model’s legitimacy. Several velocities, streamlines, and heat transference graphics are extracted from those three different wavy channels. ResultsThe acting magnetic intensity decelerates the flow transit but enhances the heat transmission. Numeric simulation predicts 17.91% heat transference augmentation at the lower wavy surface for increasing amplitude-based micro wavy channel, while the decreasing amplitude micro wavy channel estimates 12.20% heat transference increment. ConclusionThe numeric scrutiny conveys that increasing or decreasing amplitude-based wavy texture facilitates the flow most and accelerates heat transference compared to simple uniform amplitude-based wavy texture surfaces.