Microscopic velocimetry with a scaled-up model for evaluating a flow field over cultured endothelial cells

A microscopic velocimetry technique for evaluating the flow field over cultured endothelial cells was developed. Flow around a cell model scaled up by a factor of 100 was visualized by using an optical microscope and was quantified by using particle-tracking velocimetry. Wall shear stress on the model surface was determined from a two-dimensional velocity field interpolated from measured velocity vectors. Accuracy of the velocimetry was verified by measuring the flow over a sinusoidal cell model that had a wall shear stress profile analytically determined with linear perturbation theory. Comparison of the experimental results with the analytical solution revealed that the total error of the measured wall shear stress was 6 percent.