MAGNITOPHORESIS AND OXYGEN EXCHANGE IN DILUTE SUSPENSION OF ERYTHROCYTES

Abstract

Abstract. Oxygen exchange in single erythrocytes is studied with the use of magnetophoretic magnetometry based upon the registration of cell trajectories in a microfluidic Hele-Shaw cell under the action of high-gradient magnetic field. It is found that, at atmospheric conditions, the equilibrium oxygenation degree of cellular hemoglobin is four times smaller as against a standard level of blood hemoglobin. Also, an application of shear flow leads to an instantaneous increase of cellular hemoglobin oxygenation up to a standard level, and it takes minutes for a low equilibrium level to be re-established. These findings give a new notion as upon erythrocyte functions and may be of use for the hematocrit diagnosis.