The influence of the optical properties on the determination of capillary diameters

Various clinically applicable scores and indices are available to help identify the state of a microcirculatory disorder in a patient. Several of these methods, however, leave room for interpretation and only provide clues for diagnosis. Thus, a measurement method that allows a reliable detection of impending or manifest circulatory malfunctions would be of great value. In this context, the optical and non-invasive method of shifted position-diffuse reflectance imaging (SP-DRI) was developed. It allows to determine the capillary diameter and thus to assess the state of the microcirculation. The aim of the present study is to investigate how the quantification of capillary diameters by SP-DRI behaves in different individuals, i.e. for a wide range of optical properties. For this, within Monte-Carlo simulations all optical properties (seven skin layers, hemoglobin) were randomly varied following a Gaussian distribution. An important finding from the present investigation is that SP-DRI works when the optical properties are chosen randomly. Furthermore, it is shown that appropriate data analysis allows calibration-free absolute quantification of the capillary diameter across individuals using SP-DRI. This underpins the potential of SP-DRI to serve as an early alert system for the onset of microcirculatory associated diseases.

Experimental evaluation of the mechanical degradation of HPAM polymeric solutions used in Enhanced Oil Recovery

With the design of experiments (DoE), this study analyses the influence of physical (capillary diameter and pressure drop) and chemical variables (salinity, polymer concentration, and molecular weight) on the mechanical degradation of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide-type polymer solutions (HPAM) used in enhanced oil recovery processes. Initially, with the help of a fractional factorial design (2k-p), the variables with the most significant influence on the polymer's mechanical degradation were found. The experimental results of the screening demonstrate that the factors that statistically influence the mechanical degradation are the molecular weight, the diameter of the capillary, and the pressure differential. Subsequently, a regression model was developed to estimate the degradation percentages of HPAM polymer solutions as a function of the significant factors influencing the mechanical degradation of polymer solutions. This model had a 97.85% fit for the predicted values under the experimental conditions. Likewise, through the optimization developed by the Box Behnken response surface methodology, it was determined that the pressure differential was the most influential factor. This variable was followed by the capillary diameter, where less than 50% degradation rates are obtained with low polymer molecular weight (6.5 MDa), pressure differentials less than 500 psi, and diameters of the capillary greater than 0.125 inches.

Blood physiological and flow characteristics within coronary artery circulatory network for human heart based on vascular fractal theory

To analyze the fractal form of the vascular network in the human circulatory system, the optimal transport effect has been achieved from the point of view of biological evolution. The blood flow mathematical models based on the fractal theory for capillary network and arteriole–capillary vascular fractal network were established using theory derivation, and the blood flow characteristics, dynamic flow resistance effects, and vascular fractal physiology property based on the fractal porous medium theory for the coronary artery circulatory network were analyzed under the consideration of some influencing factors, namely, non-Newtonian fluid characteristics of blood, hemocoagulation and embolization effect in capillaries, and plasma mass flow effects. Moreover, the Poiseuille flow equation is modified by introducing the correction function, and the flow model of blood in the vascular network is established. Obviously, the relationship characteristics between blood flow and bifurcation grade in fractal vascular, fractal dimension in the arteriole–capillary vascular network, fractal dimensions of the diameter of capillary tubular diameter, fractal dimensions of capillary blood vessels, blood Casson yield stress, and ratio of red blood cell radius to capillary diameter can be obtained. And the relationship characteristics between blood flow resistance and ratio of erythrocyte radius to capillary diameter, ratios of the distance between adjacent red blood cells to the radius of red cells, and bifurcation grade can be obtained. Finally, the clinical verification tests were accomplished to verify the theory is worthy of authenticity and rationality where the curve tendencies are very similar with those obtained by numerical simulations based on the theoretical models and experimental test showed that the theoretical calculation and simulation analysis of blood circulation system of fractal vascular network were reasonable and applicable by means of experimental relative method because of the maximum relative error is less than 10%, whatever fractal dimension m changes under different conditions.

The Application of Submerged Modules for Membrane Distillation

This paper deals with the efficiency of capillary modules without an external housing, which were used as submerged modules in the membrane distillation process. The commercial hydrophobic capillary membranes fabricated for the microfiltration process were applied. Several constructional variants of submerged modules were discussed. The influence of membrane arrangement, packing density, capillary diameter and length on the module performance was determined. The effect of process conditions, i.e., velocity and temperature of the streams, on the permeate flux was also evaluated. The submerged modules were located in the feed tank or in the distillate tank. It was found that much higher values of the permeate flux were obtained when the membranes were immersed in the feed with the distillate flowing inside the capillary membranes. The efficiency of submerged modules was additionally compared with the conventional membrane distillation (MD) capillary modules and a similar performance of both constructions was achieved.

Pericyte constriction underlies capillary derecruitment during hyperemia in the setting of arterial stenosis

Capillary derecruitment distal to a coronary stenosis is implicated as the mechanism of reversible perfusion defect and potential myocardial ischemia during coronary hyperemia; however, the underlying mechanisms are not defined. We tested whether pericyte constriction underlies capillary derecruitment during hyperemia under conditions of stenosis. In vivo two-photon microscopy (2PM) and optical microangiography (OMAG) were used to measure hyperemia-induced changes in capillary diameter and perfusion in wild-type and pericyte-depleted mice with femoral artery stenosis. OMAG demonstrated that hyperemic challenge under stenosis produced capillary derecruitment associated with decreased RBC flux. 2PM demonstrated that hyperemia under control conditions induces 26 ± 5% of capillaries to dilate and 19 ± 3% to constrict. After stenosis, the proportion of capillaries dilating to hyperemia decreased to 14 ± 4% ( P = 0.05), whereas proportion of constricting capillaries increased to 32 ± 4% ( P = 0.05). Hyperemia-induced changes in capillary diameter occurred preferentially in capillary segments invested with pericytes. In a transgenic mouse model featuring partial pericyte depletion, only 14 ± 3% of capillaries constricted to hyperemic challenge after stenosis, a significant reduction from 33 ± 4% in wild-type littermate controls ( P = 0.04). These results provide for the first time direct visualization of hyperemia-induced capillary derecruitment distal to arterial stenosis and demonstrate that pericyte constriction underlies this phenomenon in vivo. These results could have important therapeutic implications in the treatment of exercise-induced ischemia. NEW & NOTEWORTHY In the setting of coronary arterial stenosis, hyperemia produces a reversible perfusion defect resulting from capillary derecruitment that is believed to underlie cardiac ischemia under hyperemic conditions. We use optical microangiography and in vivo two-photon microscopy to visualize capillary derecruitment distal to a femoral arterial stenosis with cellular resolution. We demonstrate that capillary constriction in response to hyperemia in the setting of stenosis is dependent on pericytes, contractile mural cells investing the microcirculation.