Determination of the cell-free layer in circular PDMS microchannels
Conference Paper
Overview
Research
View All
Overview
abstract
In microcirculation the cell-free layer is believed to reduce the friction between red blood cells (RBCs) and endothelial
cells and consequently reduce blood flow resistance. However, the complex formation of the cell-free layer has not
yet been convincingly described mainly due to multi-physical and hemorheological factors that affect this phenomenon.
In this experimental work, we study the effect of hematocrit (Hct) on the thickness of the cell-free layer in straight circular
polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels. The channels studied are 73 ± 2 mm in diameter, flexible and circular
to mimic blood vessels. The images are captured using confocal microscopy and are post-processed using Image J and
MATLAB. The formation of a cell-free layer is clearly visible in the images captured and by using a combination of image
analysis techniques we are able to detect an increase in the cell-free layer thickness as Hct decreases.
