Probing Red Blood Cell Dynamics

Because of the high volume contents of red blood cells (RBCs) in blood, mechanics of a single RBC plays a large role in the rheological description of blood. Moreover, RBC dynamics drive plasma mixing and lateral transport of its components, which are both involved in blood coagulation. Therefore, a characterization of the dynamical parameters of RBCs under different flow conditions is needed. Experimental methods, like pipette aspiration or optical trapping, seem to be unable to accurately capture RBC dynamics, due to contact of a solid with the cell membrane. Especially at larger deformations, a proper analysis is more complex due to this cell-solid interaction and the introduction of extra friction forces. In addition, not local but whole cell quantities are measured.