Detalhes do Documento

The development of optical experimental techniques has contributed to obtain explanations on the way the blood flows through microvessels. Although the past results have been encouraging, detailed studies on the flow properties of blood in the microcirculation has been limited by several technical factors such as poor spatial resolution and difficulty to obtain quantitative detailed measurements at such small scales. In recent years, due to advances in computers, confocal microscopy, and digital image processing techniques, it has become possible to combine a micro-particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) system with a confocal microscope. The present study shows for the first time confocal micro-PTV measurements of the dynamic flow behaviour of red blood cells (RBCs) in concentrated suspensions. The measurements were performed at several depths of a 100 um glass capillaries