Blood rheology near a stagnation point

Abstract

Blood rheology at a stagnation point is studied in views of microhemorheology. Special emphasis is put on the effect of both non-Newtonian and unhomogeneous properties of blood on the fine structure of blood flow impinging on the wall. It is shown that “non-flow” region exists just at the stagnation point due to the non-Newtonian viscosity when its yield stress is large enough, compared with the viscous stress far from the wall. When the yield stress becomes negligibly small, RBC and plasma behave individually near the stagnation point; RBC is deviated from the plasma streamline and impinges on the wall. Finally, a microhemorheological factor of legional metabolic disorder is discussed on basis of the fine structure near a stagnation point.