A203 Blood Cell Motions and Interactions in Microchannels

Abstract

Detailed knowledge on the motions and interactions of individual blood cells flowing in microchannels is essential to provide a better understanding on the blood rheological properties and disorders in microvessels. This paper presents the ability of a confocal micro-PTV system to track red blood cells (RBCs) through a 100 μm circular glass microchannel. The technique consists of a spinning disk confocal microscope, high speed camera and a diode-pumped solid state (DPSS) laser combined with a single particle tracking (SPT) software (MtrackJ). Detailed measurements on the motions of RBCs were measured at different haematocrits (Hct). Our results show clearly that this technique can provide detailed information about microscale disturbance effects caused by the blood cells.1) Goldsmith, H.: Red cell motions and wall interactions in tube flow, Federation Proceedings, Vol. 30, No.5 (1971) pp. 1578-1588.2) Goldsmith, H. and Marlow J.: Flow behavior of erythrocytes. 11. Particles motions in concentrated suspensions of ghost cells, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Vol. 71, No. 2 (1979) pp. 383-407.3) Lima, R., et al.: Confocal micro-PIV measurements of three dimensional profiles of cell suspension flow in a square microchannel, Meas. Sci. Tech., Vol. 17, (2006) pp. 797-808.4) Lima, R., et al., In vitro confocal micro-PIV measurements of blood flow in a square microchannel: the effect of the haematocrit on instantaneous velocity profiles, J. Biomech., (in press).5) Abramoff, M., et al.: Image processing with lmageJ, Biophotonics International, Vol. 11, No. 7 (2004) pp. 36-42.6) Meijering, E., et al.: Tracking in Molecular Bioimaging, , IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, Vol 23. No. 3 (2006) pp. 46-53.