Influence of cell shape and orientation on the optical properties of human erythrocytes

The cell shape and orientation of red blood cells (RBCs) can be influenced by shear rate and osmolarity. Changes in cell shape and cell orientation can be linked to changes in the optical behavior of the cells. The optical parameters, absorption coefficient μa, scattering coefficient μs, and effective scattering phase function of blood in the spectral range from 250 nm to 1100 nm were investigated dependent on shear rate and osmolarity. Integrating sphere measurements of light transmittance and reflectance in combination with inverse Monte-Carlo simulations were carried out for different wall shear rates between 0 and 1000 s-1 and osmolarity variations from 225 to 400 mosmol/l. Changes in shear rate and osmolarity could be shown to have significant influences on the optical parameters which can in part be explained by changes in the complex refractive index, cell shape and organization. Spherical forms of RBCs induced by low osmolarity show reduced scattering effects compared to normal RBC biconcave disks shape. Spinocytes, induced by high osmolarity, show the highest scattering effects. Randomly oriented cells exhibited maximum μa and μs values whereas cell alignment and elongation at high shear rates led to an asymptotical decrease. Moreover a relationship exists between the observed effects and the hemoglobin absorption. It could be shown that 10% changes in osmolarity have a drastic influence on the optical parameters which is of the same order as they appear for 10% Hct and oxygen saturation changes. Flow induced variations of about 10% have less effect on the optical parameters.