title: Dynamics of red blood cells and vesicles in microchannels of oscillating width.
abstract: We have studied the dynamics of red blood cells and fluid lipid vesicles in hydrodynamic flow fields created by microchannels with periodically varying channel width. For red blood cells we find a transition from a regime with oscillating tilt angle and fixed shape to a regime with oscillating shape with increasing flow velocity. We have determined the crossover to occur at a critical ratio L(y)/v(m) ≈ 2.2 × 10⁻³ s with channel width L(y) and red blood cell velocity v(m). These oscillations are superposed by shape transitions from a discocyte to a slipper shape at low velocities and a slipper to parachute transition at high flow velocities.
authors.affiliation: Microfluidics Group, EP1, University of Augsburg, 86159 Augsburg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Braunmüller
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Franke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002417:Cattle; D048430:Cell Shape; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009991:Oscillometry / Q000379:methods*; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000378:metabolism; D013499:Surface Properties; D017971:Tin Compounds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D017971:Tin Compounds; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; C109984:indium tin oxide; D004492:Edetic Acid