Deformation of red blood cells and the viscoelastic properties of a concentrated red cell suspension.

The viscoelastic properties of a concentrated red cell suspension in which red cells do not form rouleaux are discussed from a theoretical point of view. An elastic spherical shell filled with a viscous fluid is considered as a model of a normal red cell. A cell method is used to consider finite concentration of suspended particles. On the assumption that the deformation from a spherical shape is very small, the shape of a deformed shell in a shear flow and the constitutive equation of the suspension are derived.