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Fast, flexible and low-cost multiphase blood analogue for biomedical and energy applications

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Abstract

During the last two decades, several kinds of particulate blood analogue fluids have been proposed, but none of those were able to mimic the multiphase effects of real blood. Hence, it is clear that it is crucial to develop a simple multiphase blood analogue to be used for in vitro experiments at both macro- and microscale level. To the best of our knowledge, the present work shows for the first time a straightforward and extremely stable blood analogue fluid able to mimic multiphase blood flow phenomena. The present work proposes a simple, low-cost and stable multiphase blood analogue with the ability to mimic microscale blood flow phenomena. The proposed analogue fluid is composed of Brij L4 surfactant micelles suspended in pure water and is extremely easy to be produced. To investigate the ability of this analogue to mimic microscale blood flow phenomena, flow visualizations were performed in a microchannel constriction. In vitro blood phenomena were compared with the measurements performed with the proposed analogue fluid. Additionally, rheological measurements of the multiphase blood analogue were acquired by means of a stress-controlled rheometer and compared with in vitro blood sample viscosity curves. Overall, the results indicate that it is possible to produce a stable particulate fluid with geometrical, mechanical and flow properties similar to in vitro blood. Hence, the proposed analogue has a great potential to be used in flow experiments from macro- to nanoscale levels.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) under the strategic grants UIDB/04077/2020, UIDB/04436/2020 and UIDB/00532/2020. The authors are also grateful for the funding of FCT through the projects NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-029394, NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-030171 and POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016861 (PTDC/QEQ-FTT/4287/2014) funded by COMPETE2020, NORTE2020, PORTUGAL2020, and FEDER. The authors also acknowledge FCT for partially financing the research under the framework of the project UTAP-EXPL/CTE/0064/2017, financiado no âmbito do Projeto 5665—Parcerias Internacionais de Ciência e Tecnologia, UT Austin Programme. Partial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education (grant no. DPI2016-78887) and Junta de Extremadura (grants no. GR15014 and IB18005, partially financed by FEDER funds) is gratefully acknowledged too. The authors are also very grateful to Professor José María Montanero (Extremadura University), Professor Stefan Gassmann and Mr. Helmut Schütte (Jade University of Applied Science) for their extremely helpful suggestions and assistance provided to this research work.

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Author notes

  1. D. Pinho

    Present address: INL, International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Av. Mestre José Veiga, 4715-330, Braga, Portugal

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MEtRICs, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058, Guimarães, Portugal

    R. Lima & D. Pinho

  2. CEFT, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade Do Porto (FEUP), R. Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal

    R. Lima & J. M. Miranda

  3. Depto. de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales and Instituto de Computación Científica Avanzada (ICCAEx), Universidad de Extremadura, 06006, Badajoz, Spain

    E. J. Vega

  4. IN+ Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal

    A. S. Moita & A. L. N. Moreira

  5. Department of Exact Sciences and Engineering, CINAMIL, Military Academy Research Center, Portuguese Military Academy, R. Gomes Freire, 203, 1169-203, Lisbon, Portugal

    A. S. Moita

  6. Research Centre in Digitalization and Intelligent Robotics (CeDRI), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253, Bragança, Portugal

    D. Pinho

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Lima, R., Vega, E.J., Moita, A.S. et al. Fast, flexible and low-cost multiphase blood analogue for biomedical and energy applications. Exp Fluids 61, 231 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-020-03066-7

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