Моделирование морфологии и жесткости мембраны эритроцитов после фемтосекундного лазерного облучения

The article aim is, within a simple mechanical model of the erythrocyte morphology, to carry out the calculation and comparison of the calculated data with the experimental data obtained using atomic force microscopy of blood cells after femtosecond laser irradiation. The article proposes a model of the erythrocyte which represents the erythrocyte as a homogeneous elastic body with the elasticity depending on the distance to the centre of the erythrocyte. The model is based on data from atomic force microscopy obtained by various authors, in particular the data on rigidity of the membrane depending on the position of the measuring point on the surface. In the developed model, the elasticity of the membrane changes depending on the distance to the centre within 1–1.6 kPa. The calculation of the elastic properties is made by the finite element method, which allows us to determine the dependence of the erythrocyte morphology on pressure on the membrane, which is varied within the range of 0.5–2 kPa. The good agreement between calculated and experimental data confirms the consistency of the model and allows us to conclude that the morphology of the erythrocyte is largely determined by the elastic properties of the membrane. Besides, the developed model allows us to simulate the changes in the rigidity of erythrocyte membrane under femtosecond laser irradiation, which acts as a factor destroying the membrane. Simulation of rigid properties is based on a statistical analysis of quantitative data content of discocytes, echinocytes, spherocytes, and stomatocytes as well as on the assumption that the rigidity of each form is constant. Rigidity coefficients for the various forms are calculated by the method of least squares and are equal to kPa for discocytes, kPa for echinocytes, kPa for spherocytes, and kPa for stomatocytes.