Patent ID: 7846392

Claim:
A method of reducing or eliminating precipitate blockage in a microfluidic channel, the method comprising: a) flowing a first fluid into at least a first microchannel; b) flowing a selected amount of a second fluid into the first microchannel from at least a second microchannel, which second microchannel is fluidly coupled to the first microchannel, the first and second fluids mixing in the first microchannel, the first fluid having a tendency to form a precipitate when mixed with the second fluid, wherein the amount of the second fluid is selected such that the precipitate formed does not block the first microchannel; c) removing a portion of the mixed first and second fluids from the first microchannel; and d) adding a third fluid to the mixed first and second fluids remaining in the first microchannel, thereby diluting the mixed first and second fluids with the third fluid and producing a precipitate at a precipitate concentration that permits flow of the precipitate and the first, second, and third fluids in the first microchannel, thereby reducing or eliminating precipitate blockage in the first microfluidic channel.