Patent ID: 8828715

Claim:
A method for characterizing one or more interactions between particles and an idealized microfluidic bifurcation comprising the steps of: introducing a liquid suspension of particles into an inlet of a microfluidic chip comprising an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with an idealized microfluidic bifurcation wherein the microfluidic chip includes: the idealized microfluidic bifurcation being a joint that fluidly couples a parent channel and two or more daughter channels, one or more locations of interest that include the idealized microfluidic bifurcation having a wall with a coating; the depth and width of each of the parent channel and daughter channels is between 10 micrometers and 500 micrometers, and the daughter channels each form an angle of between 15 degrees and 135 degrees at the idealized microfluidic bifurcation with respect to the parent channel; causing the particle suspension to flow from the inlet through the idealized microfluidic bifurcation to the outlet such that at least a portion of the particles interact with the coating at the idealized microfluidic bifurcation; measuring the particles that interact with the coating at the one or more locations of interest; determining the distribution of particles on the coating at the one or more locations of interest with respect to the idealized microfluidic bifurcation; and correlating the distribution of particles with one or more interactions between the particles and the coating of the idealized microfluidic bifurcation.