Journal Article

An Analytic Study on the Effect of Alginate on the Velocity Profiles of Blood in Rectangular Microchannels Using Microparticle Image Velocimetry

Fenech, Marianne, Pitts, Katie L.

2013

Overview

It is desired to understand the effect of alginic acid sodium salt from brown algae (alginate) as a viscosity modifier on the behavior of blood in vitro using a micro-particle image velocimetry (µPIV) system. The effect of alginate on the shape of the velocity profile, the flow rate and the maximum velocity achieved in rectangular microchannels channels are measured. The channels were constructed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a biocompatible silicone. Porcine blood cells suspended in saline was used as the working fluid at twenty percent hematocrit (H = 20). While alginate was only found to have minimal effect on the maximum velocity and the flow rate achieved, it was found to significantly affect the shear rate at the wall by between eight to a hundred percent.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Algae / Alginates - pharmacology / Alginic acid / Animals / Biocompatibility / Bioengineering / Biology / Blood / Blood cells / Blood Flow Velocity - drug effects / Channels / Dimethylpolysiloxanes - chemistry / Drug dosages / Engineering / Flow velocity / Glucuronic Acid - pharmacology / Hematocrit / Hexuronic Acids - pharmacology / Mechanical engineering / Medical imaging / Medicine / Microchannels / Microfluidics - methods / Microspheres / Particle image velocimetry / Physics / Physiology / Plasma / Polydimethylsiloxane / Polyethylene glycol / Polymers / Reference materials / Rheology - methods / Salts / Shear rate / Shear Strength - drug effects / Silicone resins / Silicones / Sodium / Studies / Sus scrofa / Velocity / Velocity measurement / Viscosity / Working fluids