Figure 1.

In vitro disease model to study sickle trait blood flow using a microfluidic platform. (A) Schematic of the experimental platform built around the microfluidic device including an oxygen gas mixer, PBS hydration flow regulator, pressure regulation of whole blood, oxygen sensor, and high speed camera. Insert (B) shows a cross sectional view of the microfluidic device, which comprises of the gas, hydration, and blood layers as described in methods (C). Illustration of the blood microchannels in the device. A single blood channel starts at the inlet and loops around allowing for the simultaneous imaging of 4 sections of the channel as shown by the inset. Arrows along the channels depict the directionality of the blood as it traverses through the microchannels. (D). Photographs of blood as it traverses the microfluidic channels.