Suspensions of healthy and pathological red blood cells (RBC) flowing in microfluidic devices are frequently used to perform in vitro blood experiments for a better understanding of human microcirculation hemodynamic phenomena. This work reports the development of particulate viscoelastic analogue fluids able to mimic the rheological and hemorheological behavior of pathological RBC suspensions flowing in microfluidic systems. The pathological RBCs were obtained by an incubation of healthy RBCs at a high concentration of glucose, representing the pathological stage of hyperglycaemia in diabetic complications, and analyses of their deformability and aggregation were carried out. Overall, the developed in vitro analogue fluids were composed of a suspension of semi-rigid microbeads in a carrier viscoelastic fluid made of dextran 40 and xanthan gum. All suspensions of healthy and pathological RBCs, as well as their particulate analogue fluids, were extensively characterized in steady shear flow, as well as in small and large amplitude oscillatory shear flow. In addition, the well-known cell-free layer (CFL) phenomenon occurring in microchannels was investigated in detail to provide comparisons between healthy and pathological in vitro RBC suspensions and their corresponding analogue fluids at different volume concentrations (5% and 20%). The experimental results have shown a similar rheological behavior between the samples containing a suspension of pathological RBCs and the proposed analogue fluids. Moreover, this work shows that the particulate in vitro analogue fluids used have the ability to mimic well the CFL phenomenon occurring downstream of a microchannel contraction for pathological RBC suspensions. The proposed particulate fluids provide a more realistic behavior of the flow properties of suspended RBCs when compared with existing non-particulate blood analogues, and consequently, they are advantageous for detailed investigations of microcirculation.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
September 2017
Research Article|
September 21 2017
In vitro particulate analogue fluids for experimental studies of rheological and hemorheological behavior of glucose-rich RBC suspensions
Diana Pinho
;
Diana Pinho
1
ESTiG, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança
, C. Sta Apolónia, 5301-857 Bragança, Portugal
2
CEFT, DEMec, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto
, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Search for other works by this author on:
Laura Campo-Deaño;
Laura Campo-Deaño
2
CEFT, DEMec, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto
, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Search for other works by this author on:
Rui Lima;
Rui Lima
2
CEFT, DEMec, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto
, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
3
MEtRiCS, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Minho
, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
Search for other works by this author on:
Fernando T. Pinho
Fernando T. Pinho
2
CEFT, DEMec, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto
, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Search for other works by this author on:
Biomicrofluidics 11, 054105 (2017)
Article history
Received:
March 11 2017
Accepted:
July 28 2017
Citation
Diana Pinho, Laura Campo-Deaño, Rui Lima, Fernando T. Pinho; In vitro particulate analogue fluids for experimental studies of rheological and hemorheological behavior of glucose-rich RBC suspensions. Biomicrofluidics 1 September 2017; 11 (5): 054105. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4998190
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign In
You could not be signed in. Please check your credentials and make sure you have an active account and try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionPay-Per-View Access
$40.00