Numerical simulation of the effect of plasma’s non-Newtonian properties on red blood cell motion modes

Abstract

Suspensions play a vital role in various industrial products and medical applications, making it essential to understand their rheological properties. Blood is a suspension in which red blood cells (RBCs), the solid component, are dispersed in plasma, the liquid component. The motion of RBCs during blood flow varies based on the properties of the surrounding fluid and the RBCs themselves. These variations in motion modes are key contributors to the non-Newtonian behavior of blood, which is fundamental to its rheological properties. Plasma also exhibits non-Newtonian behavior influenced by its protein content. However, limited research has examined RBC motion mode changes under the assumption that plasma behaves as a non-Newtonian fluid. This study explored the impact of plasma’s non-Newtonian properties on the critical internal-to-external viscosity ratio, a key parameter affecting RBC motion. The findings confirmed that the critical viscosity ratio decreases with an increase in the power-law index. This indicates that the viscosity variations linked to transitions in RBC motion modes significantly influence hydrodynamic resistance and are closely associated with changes in local shear stress within blood flow.