RESUMO
The inertia-induced lateral migration of rigid microspheres, platelets and erythrocytes is studied experimentally. The concentration and velocity profiles of the particles have been determined with a laser-Doppler anemometer designed for high resolution measurements. Data are compared with empirical and analytical models on inertia-induced lateral migration of rigid spheres. Experiments done in rectangular flow channels of high aspect ratio reveal that at a sufficiently high particle Reynolds number, platelets exhibit tubular pinch effects comparable with those of rigid polystyrene microspheres. Erythrocytes also exhibit inertia-induced lateral migration at high particle Reynolds number and low medium viscosity. At a higher medium viscosity, erythrocytes show deformation-induced lateral migration towards the center of the flow channel.
Assuntos
Plaquetas/fisiologia , Eritrócitos/fisiologia , Velocidade do Fluxo Sanguíneo , Plaquetas/citologia , Movimento Celular , Tamanho Celular , Eritrócitos/citologia , Humanos , Fluxometria por Laser-Doppler/instrumentação , Microesferas , Modelos Biológicos , Tamanho da Partícula , Poliestirenos , Fluxo Pulsátil , Reologia , Rotação , ViscosidadeRESUMO
In this study we present experimental data on the inhomogeneous distribution of platelets in polyethylene tubes (200 microns diam) based on the inverse Fåhraeus effect for platelets. It is shown that platelets are expelled toward the red blood cell-depleted marginal layer near the tube wall by mutual interaction with erythrocytes. By means of a straightforward model, the near-wall concentration of platelets could be estimated from measurements on the average tubular platelet concentration. The marginal layer originates from the hydrodynamic interaction of the deformable erythrocytes with the tube wall. If the tube diameter is large compared with the size of the erythrocytes, the lateral migration effects can effectively be scaled on the absolute distance between the erythrocytes and the tube wall. This results in the main conclusion that the near-wall concentration of platelets is significantly enhanced up to about seven times the average concentration, practically irrespective of the tube diameter in the range of 100-500 microns. Where comparable, the results of this study are in accordance with experimental data of other authors.
