Abstract
In their extensive circulation through the cardiovascular circuit, erythrocytes are forced to transform and assume different shapes depending on the varying flow conditions in different blood vessels. The present work aims to visualize various erythrocyte shape transformations by an in vitro microcirculatory model, and to visualize multi-shape erythrocyte deformability. The model used an in-house fabricated and inexpensive disposable micro flow channel to mimic certain in vivo conditions, and a fast frame rate video microscopic system to visualize the shape changes in erythrocytes. Results have shown the multi-shape transformation of erythrocytes as resting discoidal shape, asymmetrically deformed ‘hat’ and ‘bullet-like’ shapes, and axially deformed ‘slipper- and spindle-like’ shapes. Specific erythrocytes demonstrated shape transition and transformation while passing through the observed window. The obtained erythrocyte shaper were thoroughly analyzed based on the deformability index. Findings from the image processing techniques were significant (P<0.001) for the different shapes compared with the resting shape. The simple glass in-house fabricated microfludic channel allowed for multi-shape erythrocyte deformability characterization, many of which manifest in human circulation.