How blood cells deform, recover when traveling through tiny channels
Tuesday, April 28, 2020 - 10:10
in Physics & Chemistry
Laboratory blood tests are often done by forcing samples through small channels. When the channels are very small, as in microfluidic devices, red blood cells (RBCs) are deformed and then relax back to their original shape after exiting the channel. The way the deformation and relaxation occur depends on both the flow characteristics and mechanical properties of the cell's outer membrane.