Blood viscosity in microvessels: Experiment and theory

Timothy W. Secomb; Axel R. Pries

doi:10.1016/j.crhy.2013.04.002

Blood viscosity in microvessels: Experiment and theory

Timothy W. Secomb, Axel R. Pries

Research output: Contribution to journal › Short survey › peer-review

112 Scopus citations

Abstract

The apparent viscosity of blood flowing through narrow glass tubes decreases strongly with decreasing tube diameter over the range from about 300 μm to about 10 μm. This phenomenon, known as the Fåhraeus-Lindqvist effect, occurs because blood is a concentrated suspension of deformable red blood cells with a typical dimension of about 8 μm. Most of the resistance to blood flow through the circulatory system resides in microvessels with diameters in this range. Apparent viscosity of blood in microvessels in vivo has been found to be significantly higher than in glass tubes with corresponding diameters. Here we review experimental observations of blood's apparent viscosity in vitro and in vivo, and progress towards a quantitative theoretical understanding of the mechanisms involved.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	470-478
Number of pages	9
Journal	Comptes Rendus Physique
Volume	14
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crhy.2013.04.002
State	Published - Jun 2013

Keywords

Capillary
Microcirculation
Red blood cell
Rheology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1016/j.crhy.2013.04.002

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title = "Blood viscosity in microvessels: Experiment and theory",

abstract = "The apparent viscosity of blood flowing through narrow glass tubes decreases strongly with decreasing tube diameter over the range from about 300 μm to about 10 μm. This phenomenon, known as the F{\aa}hraeus-Lindqvist effect, occurs because blood is a concentrated suspension of deformable red blood cells with a typical dimension of about 8 μm. Most of the resistance to blood flow through the circulatory system resides in microvessels with diameters in this range. Apparent viscosity of blood in microvessels in vivo has been found to be significantly higher than in glass tubes with corresponding diameters. Here we review experimental observations of blood's apparent viscosity in vitro and in vivo, and progress towards a quantitative theoretical understanding of the mechanisms involved.",

keywords = "Capillary, Microcirculation, Red blood cell, Rheology",

author = "Secomb, {Timothy W.} and Pries, {Axel R.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by NIH Grant HL034555.",

year = "2013",

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doi = "10.1016/j.crhy.2013.04.002",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "14",

pages = "470--478",

journal = "Comptes Rendus Physique",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Blood viscosity in microvessels

T2 - Experiment and theory

AU - Secomb, Timothy W.

AU - Pries, Axel R.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by NIH Grant HL034555.

PY - 2013/6

Y1 - 2013/6

N2 - The apparent viscosity of blood flowing through narrow glass tubes decreases strongly with decreasing tube diameter over the range from about 300 μm to about 10 μm. This phenomenon, known as the Fåhraeus-Lindqvist effect, occurs because blood is a concentrated suspension of deformable red blood cells with a typical dimension of about 8 μm. Most of the resistance to blood flow through the circulatory system resides in microvessels with diameters in this range. Apparent viscosity of blood in microvessels in vivo has been found to be significantly higher than in glass tubes with corresponding diameters. Here we review experimental observations of blood's apparent viscosity in vitro and in vivo, and progress towards a quantitative theoretical understanding of the mechanisms involved.

AB - The apparent viscosity of blood flowing through narrow glass tubes decreases strongly with decreasing tube diameter over the range from about 300 μm to about 10 μm. This phenomenon, known as the Fåhraeus-Lindqvist effect, occurs because blood is a concentrated suspension of deformable red blood cells with a typical dimension of about 8 μm. Most of the resistance to blood flow through the circulatory system resides in microvessels with diameters in this range. Apparent viscosity of blood in microvessels in vivo has been found to be significantly higher than in glass tubes with corresponding diameters. Here we review experimental observations of blood's apparent viscosity in vitro and in vivo, and progress towards a quantitative theoretical understanding of the mechanisms involved.

KW - Capillary

KW - Microcirculation

KW - Red blood cell

KW - Rheology

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U2 - 10.1016/j.crhy.2013.04.002

DO - 10.1016/j.crhy.2013.04.002

M3 - Short survey

AN - SCOPUS:84880631871

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VL - 14

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JO - Comptes Rendus Physique

JF - Comptes Rendus Physique

IS - 6

ER -

Blood viscosity in microvessels: Experiment and theory

Abstract

Keywords

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