Abstract
A technique based on Fraunhofer diffraction by suspended particles is applied in this paper to develop a numerical process to assess information about the erythrocyte deformability distribution over a population of more than six millions cells. The ability to evaluate the full distribution rather than just a mean deformability of erythrocytes allows better assessment of the erythrocyte rheologic capabilities. In order to determine both standard deviation and mean of erythrocyte population deformability, the experimental profile of intensities was matched with a theoretical one. This theoretical profile has been drawn by combining theoretical intensities corresponding to the dimensions of each deformed cell class and assuming a normal distribution. The method has been verified by analyzing mixtures of known proportions of normal erythrocyte and hardened spherocytes. Normal and pathological erythrocytes population were also analyzed and their respective deformability distributions are presented.
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