Fig. 4

and Additional file 1 The process of aggregate formation on a wt VWF coated channel footprint. An RICM time-lapse live-cell movie (Additional file 1) is recorded at the footprint of a wt VWF biofunctionalised channel perfused with whole blood supplemented with wt VWF. The bright contrasted objects in the focal plane are platelets interacting with VWF at the channel surface. Note that only events in the direct adjacency to the focal plane are visible in RICM. Upon continuously increasing the shear rate within the first 35 s, the pattern of single rolling platelets switches to platelet decorated string-like structures (~ t = 20 s) which progressively stretch in flow. After some of these strings detach and first aggregates emerge (at the critical shear rate of 4000 s^− 1), the flow was stopped leading to an immediate disassembly of strings and aggregates. From t = 37 s, we restart the flow with a constant shear rate of 4000 s^− 1, resulting in re-formation of aggregates rolling along the surface. Still images at t = 56 s (a), t = 59 s (b) and t = 62 s (c) illustrate the tracking of one exemplarily chosen rolling VWF-platelet aggregate (red circles). Time frame in seconds as indicated, scale bar corresponds to 50 μm