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The effect of turbulent viscous shear stress on red blood cell hemolysis

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Abstract

Non-physiologic turbulent flow occurs in medical cardiovascular devices resulting in hemodynamic stresses that may damage red blood cells (RBC) and cause hemolysis. Hemolysis was previously thought to result from Reynolds shear stress (RSS) in turbulent flows. A more recent hypothesis suggests that turbulent viscous shear stresses (TVSS) at spatial scales similar in size to RBCs are related to their damage. We applied two-dimensional digital particle image velocimetry to measure the flow field of a free-submerged axisymmetric jet that was utilized to hemolyze porcine RBCs in selected locations. Assuming a dynamic equilibrium for the sub-grid scale (SGS) energy flux between the resolved and the sub-grid scales, the SGS energy flux was calculated from the strain rate tensor computed from the resolved velocity fields. The SGS stress was determined by the Smagorinsky model, from which the turbulence dissipation rate and then TVSS were estimated. Our results showed the hemolytic threshold of the Reynolds stresses was up to 517 Pa, and the TVSSs were at least an order of magnitude less than the RSS. The results provide further insight into the relationship between turbulence and RBC damage.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Science Council of the Republic of China Grant NSC 100-2221-E-032-012 and we thank the Division of Medical Engineering, National Health Research Institutes of the Republic of China for providing their technical assistance and primary laboratory equipment.

Conflict of interest

The authors of this article have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, Tamkang University, 151 Ying-Chuan Road, Tamsui, New Taipei, 251, Taiwan

    Jen-Hong Yen & Po-Chien Lu

  2. Division of Medical Engineering, National Health Research Institute, Miaoli, 350, Taiwan

    Sheng-Fu Chen

  3. Department of Chemistry, Tamkang University, New Taipei, 251, Taiwan

    Ming-Kai Chern

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  1. Jen-Hong Yen
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  2. Sheng-Fu Chen
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  3. Ming-Kai Chern
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  4. Po-Chien Lu
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Correspondence to Jen-Hong Yen or Po-Chien Lu.

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Yen, JH., Chen, SF., Chern, MK. et al. The effect of turbulent viscous shear stress on red blood cell hemolysis. J Artif Organs 17, 178–185 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10047-014-0755-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10047-014-0755-3

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