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Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate: A Physics-Driven Characterization in a Medical Context
Published on: March 24, 2023
Red blood cell sedimentation of Apheresis Granulocytes
Michelle A Lodermeier1, Karen M Byrne1, Willy A Flegel1
1Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
Abstract:
Sedimentation of Apheresis Granulocyte components removes red blood cells. It is used to increase the blood donor pool when blood group-compatible donors cannot be recruited for a patient because of a major ABO incompatibility or incompatible red blood cell antibodies in the recipient. Because granulocytes have little ABO and few other red blood cell antigens on their membrane, such incompatibility lies mostly with the contaminating red blood cells. Video Clip S1 shows the process of red blood cell sedimentation of an Apheresis Granulocyte component. This video was filmed with a single smart phone attached to a commercial tripod and was edited on a tablet computer with free software by an amateur videographer without prior video experience.
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