Hematocrit effects on blood flow in curved and straight artery models

The methods and results of a blood flow experiment using porcine blood at various hematocrits in oscillatory flow through a curved artery model are presented. Porcine blood, which models both the viscous and elastic components of human blood, was used to examine the relationship between hematocrit levels and shear stress patterns in a curved artery model under fixed oscillatory flow conditions. An increase in hematocrit caused a corresponding decrease in wall shear rate reversal on the inside wall of a curved tube. Peak wall shear rates increased as the hematocrit was increased. Wall shear rate sensitivity to blood rheology for a fixed flow condition is demonstrated