A new method for blood viscosity measurement

The present study introduces the concept of a newly designed scanning visco meter with a capillary tube for use in measuring whole blood viscosity with out the use of anticoagulants in a clinical setting. Both flow rate and pre ssure drop measurements that are usually required for the operation of a ca pillary tube viscometer are replaced with a single measurement of liquid-he ight variation with time. In addition, the present method overcomes the dra wbacks of conventional viscometers in the measurement of the whole blood vi scosity. First, with the present study, whole blood viscosity can be accura tely and consistently measured at 37 degrees C over a wide shear rate range including shear rates as low as 1 s(-1). Second, the present method can me asure whole blood viscosity over a range of shear rates in less than 2 min without any anticoagulants so that one can measure the viscosity for unadul terated blood. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.