Journal Article

PreJuSER-22537

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Ordering and arrangement of deformed red blood cells in flow through microcapillaries

McWhirter, J. L.FZJ* ; Noguchi, H.FZJ* ; Gompper, G.FZJ*

2012
Dt. Physikalische Ges. [Bad Honnef]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/7557  doi:10.1088/1367-2630/14/8/085026

Abstract: The shapes and alignment of elastic vesicles similar to red blood cells (RBCs) in cylindrical capillary flow are investigated by mesoscopic hydrodynamic simulations. We study the collective flow behavior of many RBCs, where the capillary diameter is comparable to the diameter of the RBCs. Two essential control parameters are the RBC volume fraction (the tube hematocrit, H-T), and the suspension flow velocity. Depending on H-T, flow velocity and capillary radius, the RBC suspension exhibits a disordered phase and two distinct ordered phases, consisting of a single file of parachute-shaped cells and a zigzag arrangement of slipper-shaped cells, respectively. We argue that thermal fluctuations, included in the simulation method, coupled to hydrodynamic flows are important contributors to the RBC morphology. We examine the changes to the phase structures when the capillary diameter and the material properties (bending rigidity kappa and stretching modulus mu) of the model RBCs are varied, constructing phase diagrams for each case. We focus on capillary diameters, which range from about 1.0 to about 1.4 times the RBC long diameter. For the smallest capillary diameter, the single-file arrangement dominates; for the largest diameter, the ordered zigzag arrangement begins to loose its stability and alternates with an asymmetric structure with two lanes of differently oriented cells. In simulations with long capillaries, the coexistence of different phases can be observed.

Keyword(s): J

Note: We thank I O Gotze, T Auth and M Peltomaki for helpful discussions. Support of this work by the DFG through the priority program 'Nano- and Microfluidics' is gratefully acknowledged.

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Theorie der weichen Materie und Biophysik (ICS-2)
2. Theorie der Weichen Materie und Biophysik (IAS-2)

Research Program(s):

1. BioSoft: Makromolekulare Systeme und biologische Informationsverarbeitung (P45)

Appears in the scientific report 2012

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Database coverage:
; ; ; ; Current Contents - Social and Behavioral Sciences ; JCR ; Nationallizenz ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Thomson Reuters Master Journal List ; Web of Science Core Collection

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