Affiliations: Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California and LACHA-USC Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, LA County-USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Note: [1] This work supported in part by National Institutes of Health Research Grants HE 08977 and HE 11153.
Note: [*] Los Angeles County Heart Association. Present address: University of Southern California School of Medicine, Dept. of Microbiology, 2025 Zonal Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90033.
Note: [**] Public Health Service, National Institute of Health.
Abstract: A variable shear rate, non-pulsatile capillary viscometer for measurements of blood circulating in chronic exteriorized A–V shunts in dogs has been constructed. Nominal values of reduced average velocity (Ū) obtainable with this instrument range from 28 to 560 sec−1 in 200μ i.d. tubes. Experimental data are reported for measurements obtained from both native and heparinized blood. Conclusions are: (1) acute heparinization has no effect on the rheological properties of dog blood and (2) dog blood can be described as a pseudoplastic, non-Newtonian suspension, with apparent viscosity decreasing as either shear rate increases or hematocrit decreases. Both conclusions are limited to the range of hematocrit (20–50 per cent) and Ū studied.
DOI: 10.3233/BIR-1971-8205
Journal: Biorheology, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 91-101, 1971
