Microscale Flow Dynamics of Red Blood Cells in Microchannels: An Experimental and Numerical Analysis

The blood flow dynamics in microcirculation depends strongly on the motion, deformation and interaction of red blood cells (RBCs) within the microvessel. We present confocal micro-PTV measurements on the motion of individual RBCs through a circular polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) microchannel. The RBC radial displacement and dispersion calculated from these measurements show that the RBC paths are strongly dependent on the both Hct and plasma layer. In order to obtain more detailed information of the non-Newtonian property of blood a novel computational scheme is also described. The simulated flow dynamics were in good agreement with the Casson flow model and in vivo observations. In the near future by comparing both results we hope to clarify a variety of complex phenomena occurring at the microscale level.