Finite Element Method Analysis of the Deformation of Human Red Blood Cells

An erythrocyte and a spherocyte are subjected to aspiration pressure with a micropipette and analyzed by the finite element method (FEM). The comparison of the erythrocyte and the spherocyte indicates that the y-direction displacement of the erythrocyte was larger than that of the spherocyte under the same aspiration pressure. The x-direction stress distributions show that it is easier to change the shape of the erythrocyte model than that of the spherocyte model because a force in the opposite direction appears in the erythrocyte. This force seems to move the erythrocyte membrane to its center. The results indicate that the shape of the erythrocyte membrane changes partially under aspiration pressure at the point of contact with the micropipette and aspiration pressure. The results also indicate that the shape of the spherocyte membrane changes under aspiration pressure, but not only at a point of contact with the micropipette and the area subject to aspiration pressure; the entire spherocyte membrane seem to change the shape.