title: Erythrocyte deformability in patients on left ventricular assist systems.
abstract: Preliminary hemorheologic studies using clinical filtration techniques on blood cell suspensions have suggested that changes in erythrocyte (RBC) deformability occur during left ventricular assist system (LVAS) support. In the biophysics literature, it is generally accepted that the elastic properties of the RBC membrane complex affect the microcirculatory deformability of the whole cell (cytoplasmic pathologies excepted). This paper compares single cell measurements of the surface shear elastic modulus, mu, of the RBC membrane complex (determined using micropipette aspiration) to available clinical filtration pressure data during Novacor LVAS support, over 33 and 126 days in four patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Frattini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wachter
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kormos
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Borovetz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004907:Erythrocyte Deformability / Q000502:physiology*; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged