Deformation of erythrocytes adhered to a solid surface by a laminar flow

ALEJANDO D. MORENO; JONATHAN M. SCHUSTER; CARLOS E. SCHVEZOV; MARIO R. ROSENBERGER

Phoenix, Arizona

Conferencia; TMS 2018 Annual Meeting & Exhibition; 2018

The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society

Abstract: Blood is composed ofcells such as erythrocytes with the largest concentration being hemoglobin oneof the principal components. They are subject to hemolysis when interactingwith strange bodies present in the blood. Therefore, their interaction withsurfaces as well as the blood flow which may deform the cells become veryimportant. The deformation of erythrocytes adhered to a solid surface wasstudied using the finite elements method, when subject to forces produced by alaminar flow of blood. The degree of deformation, the area of adhesion, thesurface tension necessary to maintain the cell adhered and the limit stressbefore cell membrane fracture due to the flow are analyzed. It is concludedthat the erythrocyte deformation is not homogeneous with areas of stressconcentration are critical regions for either separation from the surface orfailure of the cell.