Application Of Micro-Highspeed Flow Visualization In Study Of Blood Cells Rheology In Vivo

A new experimental method has been developed in study of rheological behaviour of single red blood cell (RBC) in passing through the capillaries in vivo, using the technique of micro-highspeed cinecamera and micro-highspeed video system. It is one of the most important topics in the study of microcirculatory theories that fur-ther understand the deformability of RBC, flow states, velocities and dynamic mechanimi. A micro-highspeed flow visualization system consisted of essential elements: a biological microscope, a highspeed cinecmera with 35 mm film, a highspeed motion analysis system SP2000 (Kodak U.S.A) and a cold-light source etc. We have investigated the rheological parameters of single RBC in vivo in single capillaries which are about 3.3 to 6.9 um in diameters. The RBCs velocities are 0.1 to 0.25 mm/sec, and maximum shear stress on the outside surface of RBC is 13.8 dyn/cml, and maximum extension of RBC is 10.3 um. In aforementioned experiment, the highspeed flow visualization system frequency at 530 frames/sec and 200 frames/sec were used respectively. In addition, the vasomotion of precapillary sphincters have been measured and a complicated coupling phenomena between the RBC and sphincter have also been recorded and analysed. The experiment were performed with intravital hamsters and frogs. The results obtained by this system shown that the method designed by us are an effective tool in the study of rheological behaviour of single RBC in passing through the blood capillaries in vivoz.