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Updated: Feb 8, 2026
04:42
Micro-scale Engineering for Cell Biology
Published on: October 1, 2007
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Erythrocyte fouling on micro-engineered membranes.
Levy I Amar1, Daniela Guisado2, Monica Faria2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA. Lia2103@columbia.edu.
Biomedical Microdevices
|July 5, 2018
Summary
Red blood cell deformability is key to crossflow microfiltration. Unique erythrocyte behavior on the membrane enables stable plasma separation for biomedical devices.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Microfluidics
- Biophysics
Background:
- Crossflow microfiltration of blood plasma is crucial for biomedical applications.
- Wearable water removal devices are under development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate filtration rates, transmembrane pressures (TMP), and shear rates.
- To observe erythrocyte behavior during microfiltration.
- To understand filtration resistance mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Microfiltration experiments using photolithographically-produced porous semiconductor membranes.
- Observation of erythrocyte behavior at the filtering surface.
- Scanning electron microscopy of filtered membranes.
Main Results:
- Erythrocyte deformability significantly impacts filtration resistance.
- At high TMP, erythrocytes form incomplete monolayers, enabling sustainable filtration.
- Filtration flux depends on wall shear rate, with weak dependence on erythrocyte concentration.
Conclusions:
- Erythrocyte behavior, specifically their deformability and self-assembly, is a critical factor in microfiltration performance.
- An unrecognized mechanism supports stable filtration despite cell layers.
- Findings advance the development of microfiltration devices for biomedical use.
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