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Plasma release-cell layering theory for blood flow.
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas, Austin 78712.
Biorheology
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Blood flow undergoes structural changes at high shear strain, forming cell layers and releasing plasma. This new theory explains blood flow dynamics and red blood cell behavior.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Hematology
- Fluid Mechanics
Background:
- Blood exhibits complex viscoelastic properties under flow.
- Previous models did not fully capture internal blood flow dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate internal structural changes in erythrocytes under shear stress.
- To develop a new theory for blood flow based on plasma release and cell layering.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of viscoelasticity and stress-strain relationships in normal blood.
- Development of theoretical factors for plasma release and cell compaction.
Main Results:
- Erythrocyte alignment and plasma release occur above a critical shear strain.
- Inflections in viscoelasticity indicate layered flow of compacted cells on plasma.
- Calculated properties of cell layers align with theoretical predictions.
Conclusions:
- A new plasma release-cell layering theory unifies diverse blood flow observations.
- This theory enhances understanding of red blood cell deformability and aggregation in flow.
- The findings provide novel insights into blood rheology and internal flow mechanisms.