Multiple equilibrium states in a micro-vascular network

We use a simple model of micro-vascular blood flow to explore conditions that give rise to multiple equilibrium states in a three-node micro-vascular network. The model accounts for two primary theological effects: the Fahraeus-Lindqvist effect, which describes the apparent viscosity of blood in a vessel, and the plasma skimming effect, which governs the separation of red blood cells at diverging nodes. We show that multiple equilibrium states are possible, and we use our analytical and computational tools to design an experiment for validation. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.