Abstract
As endothelial cells are subject to flow shear stress. it is important to determine the detailed velocity distribution in microvessels in the study of mechanical interactions between blood and endothelium. Recently. particle image velocimetry (PIV) has been proposed as a quantitative method of measuring velocity fields instantaneously in experimental fluid mechanics. The authors have developed. a highly accurate PIV technique with improved dynamic range. spatial resolution and measurement accuracy. In this paper, the proposed method was applied to images of the arteriole in the rat mesentery using an intravital microscope and high-speed digital video system. Taking the mesentery motion into account. the PIV technique was improved to measure red blood cell (RBC) velocity. Velocity distributions with spatial resolutions of 0.8×0.8 μm were obtained even near the wall in the center plane of the arteriole. Ensemble averaged time-series of velocity profiles in cross sections were compared. The arteriole velocity profile was blunt in the center region of the vessel cross-section and sharp in the near-wall region.
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