Digital blood flow analysis from microscopic images of mesenteric microvessel with multiple branching

Blood flow through frog mesenteric microvessel with multiple branching, at Reynolds number 0.022, is analyzed. After pre-processing the images the velocity and erythrocyte distribution profiles by image velocimetry and axial tomography are obtained, respectively. The vascular parameters and shape descriptors are obtained by image processing techniques. The axial velocity shows the variation around branching areas associated with an increase in radial velocity, which is up to 10% of axial velocity. From the erythrocyte distribution profiles at various locations in the microvessel the tomograms are reconstructed. Based on these the contours of equal concentration are reconstructed. From these contours the point-to-point variation in cell concentration throughout the microvessel is observed and regions where the cellular concentration varies from 3 to 5%, at zero axial velocity, are identified. The change in erythrocyte shape, determined by the shape descriptors, while passing through the capillary is significant. This passage of cells, depending on their orientation, also displaces the capillary walls by 1.5 to 2.5 microm.