Routine techniques in clinical hemorheology

Two routine techniques allowing clinical investigations in hemorheology are presented: viscometry and filtrometry. Details on two modes of viscometry measurement for steady-state and unsteady-state flow modes, respectively, are given, Rheograms are presented for blood shear-thinning and blood thixotropy. The corresponding rheological behaviors are linked to blood structure modifications under shear. In the filtrometry technique a continuous mode measurement of the flow rate of a red blood cell (RBC) suspension in buffer allows the definition of an apparent filtration viscosity related to the deformations undergone by red cells as they pass through the narrow pores of a filter. Some results on the use of the techniques in clinical investigations are given