Microfluidic trapping chip and uses thereof for culture and assay of cell clusters and objects

A microfluidic chip for trapping a plurality of objects comprising:

• a body including:
• one or more inlets;
• one or more outlets;
• a plurality of trapping channels in parallel with each other, the plurality of trapping channels connected with at least one of the one or more inlets in an upstream direction and with at least one of the one or more outlets in a downstream direction, each trapping channel including a hydrodynamic trap configured to trap an object having a diameter in a specified sub-millimeter range;
• and
• a bypass channel arranged in parallel with and associated with at least one of the plurality of trapping channels, an upstream end of the bypass channel is connected with at least one of the one or more inlets and a downstream end of the bypass channel connected with at least one of the one or more outlets, the bypass channel and the associated at least one of the plurality of trapping channels being configured such that an object in a fluid introduced through the one or more inputs that flows into a channel directly upstream of the bypass channel preferentially flows into an empty trap of the associated at least one of the plurality of trapping channels when there is an empty trap in the associated at least one of the plurality of trapping channels, and such that the object preferentially flows into the bypass channel when none of the associated at least one of the plurality of trapping channels has an empty trap.