Quantification of the degree of red cell aggregation using a Wells–Brookfield rheoscope

Abstract

Studies of red cell aggregation have suffered from the lack of a satisfactory definition of the degree of aggregation. On the basis of hundreds of observations involving normal and diseased samples of blood under various conditions, a definition is presented which relates to the variance in light intensity as one scans the field of view. The approach has led to separation into five classes in increasing order of aggregation. The five classes can be described in qualitative terms and can be distinguished by eye. This procedure offers a direct measure of red cell aggregation which lends itself to automation and quantification on a continuous scale using scanner and computer techniques.