Abstract
We present optical measurements of nanoscale red blood cell fluctuations obtained by highly sensitive quantitative phase imaging. These spatio-temporal fluctuations are modeled in terms of the bulk viscoelastic response of the cell. Relating the displacement distribution to the storage and loss moduli of the bulk has the advantage of incorporating all geometric and cortical effects into a single effective medium behavior. The results on normal cells indicate that the viscous modulus is much larger than the elastic one throughout the entire frequency range covered by the measurement, indicating fluid behavior.
Highlights
The red blood cell (RBC) deformability in microvasculature governs the cell’s ability to transport oxygen in the body [1]
Frequency-dependent knowledge of the RBC mechanical response has been limited to recent developments based on active and passive microbead rheology [8,9]
The experimental setup is a modified version of the diffraction phase microscope (DPM), which is described in more detail elsewhere [29]
Summary
The red blood cell (RBC) deformability in microvasculature governs the cell’s ability to transport oxygen in the body [1]. RBCs must pass periodically a deformability test by being forced to squeeze through narrow passages (sinuses) in the spleen; upon failing this mechanical assessment, the cell is destroyed and removed from circulation by macrophages (a type of white cell) [2]. Pipette aspiration [4], electric field deformation [5], and optical tweezers [6,7] provide quantitative information about the shear and bending moduli of RBC membranes. Frequency-dependent knowledge of the RBC mechanical response has been limited to recent developments based on active and passive microbead rheology [8,9]
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