Term of Award

Spring 2024

Degree Name

Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Committee Chair

Sevki Cesmeci

Committee Member 1

Priya Goeser

Committee Member 2

Mohammadamin Ezazi

Abstract

Over the past 25 years, awareness of type 1 diabetes has significantly increased, leading to a comprehensive understanding of various aspects, including its genetics, epidemiology, and disease burden. According to the Type 1 Diabetic Index, about 8.7 million people around the world live with this long-term autoimmune disease characterized by insulin deficiency and resultant hyperglycemia. However, the increased availability and utilization of artificial pancreas systems could potentially save 673,000 lives by 2040. Although, the advancement of diabetes technology offers Type 1 diabetic patients more tools to enhance glycemic management and achieve effective outcomes, many patients are still hesitant to adopt these AP systems. This reluctance is attributed to the challenges associated with carrying various integrated parts alongside the insulin pumps on their bodies. Therefore, there is a pressing need for insulin delivery systems with smaller sizes and user-friendly features to promote wider acceptance of these devices among individuals with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). As a potential solution, we propose a magnetorheological peristaltic micropump to offer a compact, lightweight, portable, wirelessly controllable, durable, and low-power insulin delivery system. This study introduces a magnetic actuation mechanism for a micro-fluidic pump with a flap valve. A Multiphysics-based simulation approach is carried out to evaluate the proposed idea. For this, a complex magneto-solid-fluid interactions are performed using a three-dimensional time-dependent computational model by COMSOL. Through the simulation, the velocity field in the pump channel as well as the deformation of the pump chamber's upper wall were evaluated. A replication of an existing literature study is also conducted to validate the simulation approach. The computational findings indicate that the pump can transfer up to 1.99 μL of fluid in a single pumping cycle, achieving this flow rate within 0.41 seconds. This wearable patch-integrated system has a flow chamber, sensors, drug reservoir, and a permanent magnet. Beyond insulin delivery for diabetic patients, the concept can be used to improve micro-cooling devices, move blood in artificial organs, and use organ-on-chip assemblies. This user-centric, small, and effective insulin delivery technology could be a possible solution for addressing the reluctance of T1D patients to adopt AP systems.

Research Data and Supplementary Material

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