Dynamic deformation and recovery response of red blood cells to a cyclically reversing shear flow: Effects of frequency of cyclically reversing shear flow and shear stress level.

Dynamic deformation and recovery responses of red blood cells (RBCs) to a cyclically reversing shear flow generated in a 30-microm clearance, with the peak shear stress of 53, 108, 161, and 274 Pa at the frequency of 1, 2, 3, and 5 Hz, respectively, were studied. The RBCs' time-varying velocity varied after the glass plate velocity without any time lag, whereas the L/W change, where L and W were the major and minor axes of RBCs' ellipsoidal shape, exhibited a rapid increase and gradual decay during the deformation and recovery phase. The time of minimum L/W occurrence lagged behind the zero-velocity time of the glass plate (zero stress), and the delay time normalized to the one-cycle duration remained constant at 8.0%. The elongation of RBCs at zero stress time became larger with the reversing frequency. A simple mechanical model consisting of an elastic linear element during a rapid elongation period and a parallel combination of elements such as a spring and dashpot during the nonlinear recovery phase was suggested. The dynamic response behavior of RBCs under a cyclically reversing shear flow was different from the conventional shape change where a steplike force was applied to and completely released from the RBCs.