The Copley-Scott Blair phenomenon. Will it be explained by the effect of an electric double layer?

Abstract

S. Oka has offered an elegant explanation of the Copley-Scott Blair phenomenon based on the inclusion of the effect of an electric double layer, which occurs at the interface of phases between the capillary wall and the dispersion medium. The latter is considered as blood, plasma or serum. This explanation has associated the Copley-Scott Blair phenomenon and changes of the apparent viscosity with such electrokinetic phenomena as an electroosmosis and a streaming potential. As has been shown by a qualitative analysis of the formulae obtained by S. Oka, the inclusion of the electrosurface features makes it possible to explain the changes of the apparent viscosity while blood flows through capillaries. And the smaller is the capillary radius, the more substantial are these changes. At the same time, such conclusions may not be considered as a demonstration of the significance of the double layer effects in hemorheology, since the Oka theoretical model should be supplemented with an inclusion of the Debye screening radius, surface conductivity and a feasible overlap of the double layers within a capillary. Requirements on an experimental test of the Oka theoretical model have been formulated.