Study of red cell deformability with electrical conductivity method

Abstract

A new instrument was developed by authors. The principle of this instrument is based on electrical conductivity method, and it may measure static or dynamic behaviour of red cell deformability at different shear stresses This instrument possesses advantages of satisfactory producibility, time-saving performance and economic in cost. All results can be given by a microcomputer. The models of different blood samples were tested. The obtained results were analysed and demonstrated that the instrument can indeed measure red cell deformability, furthermore, an experience formula of exponential relation between electrical conductivity and red cell deformability has been found. The result is consistent with that obtained by B. S. Bull et al when they studied the relation between shear stress applied to red cells and red cell deformability with a new membrane aspiration technique and the folded cell traction technique(1).