Abstract
In order to simulate the dynamical behavior of red blood cell (RBC) in flowing blood, we developed a spring network model of RBC based on the minimum energy principle. The RBC membrane was divided into small triangular elements consisting of the spring which resists to the stretch, compression and bending of the membrane. The shape of the red blood cell was obtained by solving the motion equation of the mass point assigned at each node in the membrane so that the elastic energy stored in the membrane becomes minimum. The simulation results showed the shape change of RBC passing through a capillary as well as various shapes of RBC obtained by decreasing its volume.
