Assessing erythrocyte filterability with 3μm pore size polycarbonate membranes at constant cell flux

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Chung, Tze-Wen | O’Rear, Edgar A.

Affiliations: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA

Note: [] Accepted by: Editor H. Meiselman

Abstract: Erythrocyte deformability for suspensions of washed normal cells was tested by measuring the initial pressure drop during constant volumetric flow through 3-μm pore size Nuclepore membranes. Filtrations of erythrocytes with the smaller pore size membranes were less sensitive to contaminating leukocytes and independent of leukocyte concentration when less than 100 cells/mm3 at red cell number densities of 3.85 × 105 cells/mm3. Constant wall shear rate experiments at different erythrocyte fluxes show that the increase of initial pressure drop is nearly linear with the increase of erythrocyte flux over an order of magnitude range in flux. Constant erythrocyte flux experiments at different wall shear rates suggest viscous shear thinning of erythrocyte suspensions.

Keywords: erythrocyte filterability, WBC effects, red cell flux, shear thinning

DOI: 10.3233/CH-1990-10507

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 505-514, 1990