A comparative study of blood viscometers of 3 different types

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Oh, Ju Seok^{a; 1; *} | Prabhakaran, Prem^{a; 1} | Seo, Dong Kil^{b; 1} | Kim, Do Yeon^{c; 1} | Lee, Woonhyoung^{d; 1} | Ahn, Kyung Hyun^{e; 1}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Advanced Materials, Hannam University, Yuseonggu, Daejeon, Korea | [b] Youngjin DNT, Hwaseong, Gyeonggido, Korea | [c] Department of Neurology and Cerebrovascular Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Gyeonggido, Korea | [d] Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea | [e] School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Ju Seok Oh, Ph.D. Department of Advanced Materials, Hannam University, Yuseonggu, Daejeon, Korea. Tel.: +82 42 629 8906; Fax: +82 42 629 8834; E-mail: [email protected].

Note: [1] These authors contributed equally to this study.

Abstract:  The greater the viscosity of the blood, the more difficult its flow becomes, leading to an increased incidence of diseases caused by blood circulation disorders. These diseases are commonly associated with the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems. High blood viscosity is a primary cause of circulatory system diseases. Studies have shown that accurately measuring blood viscosity and applying this data in clinical trials can help prevent circulatory system diseases. Viscosity data can vary depending on the measurement methods used, even when these methods are based on hydrodynamic principles. Despite using approved blood viscometers, the results often differ depending on the type of viscometer used, potentially causing confusion within the medical field. Informing the medical community about these differences and the level of error associated with each measurement method can help reduce this confusion. To our knowledge, the degree of difference in viscosity measurement results due to different measurement methods and the reasons for these differences have not yet been thoroughly explored. In this study, we selected three blood viscosity measurement methods registered with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of Korea to analyze the same canine blood. The viscosity measurements were carried out using each device and compared. The parallel plate and scanning capillary methods yielded similar viscosity values, while the cone plate method showed lower viscosity values. The viscosity of blood, as measured by the three viscometers, differed, indicating that more experimental data must be accumulated to evaluate the cause of these differences. In this paper, we identified several causes of inconsistency and suggested measures to avoid this confusion. However, confirming that the test results show systematic differences is expected to assist clinicians who diagnose and prescribe treatments based on blood viscosity results. The findings of this comparative study are anticipated to serve as a starting point for establishing guidelines or standards for blood viscosity measurement methods.

Keywords: Whole blood, viscosity, viscosity measurement standard, parallel plate viscometer, capillary viscometer, cone-plate viscometer

DOI: 10.3233/CH-242256

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 88, no. 2, pp. 211-219, 2024