Affiliations: [a] Center for Molecular and Engineering Thermodynamics and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| [b] Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Norman J. Wagner, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering,
University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA. Tel.: +1 302 831 8079; Fax: +1 302 831 1048;
E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Research on hemorheology is driven in part by its significance in blood diseases and the possible use of hemorheology as a diagnostic tool. However, existing data on blood rheology are limited largely to measurements of steady shear behavior often with varying measurement protocols and insufficient characterization of the physiology. OBJECTIVE:The effects of ex vivo aging and environmental conditions on blood viscosity are investigated to improve standards for hemorheology measurements. METHODS:Measurements on the viscosity of blood from nine healthy donors are obtained and the physiological state of the blood determined. Steady and transient shear measurements are reported as a function of time from withdrawal. The effect of transportation temperature is also assessed. RESULTS:Blood transported at 4 °C may exhibit anomalous viscosity variations for short to intermediate times, as opposed to blood transported at room temperature. A time of approximately 3.0 hours was identified as the maximum time after the initial test that accurate rheological tests can be conducted on blood samples. CONCLUSIONS:Measurement protocol and time limit guidelines are established for conducting accurate rheological measurements on blood.
