Experimental and Computational Studies on Mechanical Behavior of Red Blood Cells in Blood Flow for The Development of a Hemolysis Simulator

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In order to establish the fundamental approach in the development of hemolysis simulator, we have carried out experimental and computational analyses of the mechanical behavior of elastic red blood cells (RBCs) in blood flow. In the experimental studies, we have investigated the way using dynamic light scattering to measure the deformation and aggregation of RBCs under shear flow in cone-plate rotational viscometer. It was shown that the temporal autocorrelation function on the intensity basis is the square of the sum of the autocorrelation functions on the amplitude basis of light scattering from particles and the dynamic speckle caused by the rough surface of the rotating plate in the viscometer. By using this method, the relationship between the RBC behavior in shear flow and the viscosity of the whole blood could be clarified. In the computational studies, first, we have constructed a spring network model of RBC membrane which represents the various shape change of RBC in blood flow based on the energy principle and showed that a spherical RBC transformed itself into a biconcave discoid shape, a cupped shape and a spiculate shape when the volume in decreased. Secondly, we have demonstrated the collision and aggregation of elastic RBCs in blood flow by assuming a potential functional each node of the elastic network model, which expresses the attracting and repulsive forces between neighboring membranes. Thirdly and finally, we have proposed particle method for computer simulation of bloodflow by combining the elastic RBC model and a particle model for plasma flow, and analyzed the mechanical behavior of RBCs in various blood flow. It is possible to evaluate the hemolysis from the mechanical behavior of RBC in blood flow by combining these experimental and computational methods.