Sequential snapshots of RBCs (red) and platelets (white) traveling in the four MA microchannels with BNR = (A) 8, (B) 5.4, (C) 3, (D) 2.2, during the simulation time of 1.3 seconds.

The hematocrit level is 40% in the microchannel. The timestamp increases sequentially from snapshot (I) to (III). No platelets are initially placed in MAs. Solvent particles are omitted for clarity. The corresponding trajectories of RBCs (red curves) and platelets (white curves) are plotted in (IV). Our results illustrate that the main blood flow from the parent channel of the MAs can perfuse the entire lumen of two MAs with smaller BNR shown in (C) and (D), but cannot do so for two MAs with larger BNR shown in (A) and (B). The inlet (right end of the microchannel) blood flow velocity is 1.5 mm/s for all the four MAs.