Deformation of red blood cells and the viscoelastic properties of a concentrated red cell suspension

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Murata, T.

Affiliations: Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156, Japan

Note: [] Accepted by Editor S. Oka

Abstract: The viscoelastic properties of a concentrated red cell suspension in which red cells do not form rouleaux are discussed from a theoretical point of view. An elastic spherical shell filled with a viscous fluid is considered as a model of a normal red cell. A cell method is used to consider finite concentration of suspended particles. On the assumption that the deformation from a spherical shape is very small, the shape of a deformed shell in a shear flow and the constitutive equation of the suspension are derived.

Keywords: Red cell deformation, Viscoelasticity, Blood rheology

DOI: 10.3233/BIR-1984-21307

Journal: Biorheology, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 379-391, 1984