Effect of plasma viscosity on blood flow behaviors in microvessels

To pursue a better understanding of the counter intuitive observations of plasma viscosity effects on microscopic blood flows, we have numerically simulated the red blood cell dynamics in shear and channel flows and multiple cell flow behaviors in straight microvessels. Our simulations indicate that, in a high-viscosity suspending medium, red blood cells appear more deformable, and this enhances the cell migration in straight microvessels. Also the cell free layer change with plasma viscosity might be helpful to interpret the increase in functional capillary density observed in hemodilution experiments with high-viscosity plasma expanders. Such information could be important to relevant biomedical applications.