Shape transitions of fluid vesicles and red blood cells in capillary flows

AUTOR(ES)

Noguchi, Hiroshi

FONTE

National Academy of Sciences

RESUMO

The dynamics of fluid vesicles and red blood cells (RBCs) in cylindrical capillary flow is studied by using a three-dimensional mesoscopic simulation approach. As flow velocity increases, a model RBC is found to transit from a nonaxisymmetric discocyteto an axisymmetric parachute shape (coaxial with the flow axis), while a fluid vesicle is found to transit from a discocyte to a prolate ellipsoid. Both shape transitions reduce the flow resistance. The critical velocities of the shape transitions are linearly dependent on the bending rigidity and on the shear modulus of the membrane. Slipper-like shapes of the RBC model are observed around the transition velocities. Our results are in good agreement with experiments on RBCs.

Documentos Relacionados

• Patterning cells and their environments using multiple laminar fluid flows in capillary networks
• Depletion of membrane skeleton in red blood cell vesicles.
• A new method to study shape recovery of red blood cells using multiple optical trapping.
• Effects of Chrysobalanus icaco on the labeling of blood constituents with technetium-99m and on the shape of the red blood cells
• Acetylsalicylic acid and morphology of red blood cells