The reduction rate can be controlled by selecting suitable magnetic field and duration of field application to make blood viscosity within the normal range. We also sell the new EMS-1000 Viscometer, a high-tech electromagnetic spinning viscometer for tricky applications like adhesives, blood, and expensive perfumes. While this reduction is not permanent, it lasts for several hours and repeatable. This change in rheology reduces the effective viscosity as high as 20-30%. Therefore, when we apply a strong magnetic field, the red cells make their diameters align in the field direction to form short chains. Blood viscosity determines how red blood cells moves through the blood vessels. Blood viscosity is the biophysical property of blood which describes its state of being thick, and sticky as a result of internal friction.

Red blood cells contain iron and are sensitive to magnetic field. Blood viscosity is the friction red blood cells encounter when moving past each other. The effective viscosity of whole blood increases mainly due to the red blood cells, which have a volume fraction about 40% or above. Hematocrit values, plasma fibrinogen levels, and erythrocyte deformability are well- recognized factors affecting blood viscosity. The base liquid, plasma, has low viscosity. This biophysical property makes it a critical determinant of friction against the vessel walls, the rate of venous return, the work required for the heart to pump blood, and how much oxygen is transported to tissues and organs. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited disorder of hemoglobin that causes normally flexible red blood cells to become very rigid and obstruct blood flow. It can also be described as the thickness and stickiness of blood. Blood is a suspension of red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes) and platelets in plasma, a complex solution of gases, salts, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Blood viscosity is a measure of the resistance of blood to flow. Here we report our new finding that the blood viscosity can be reduced by pulsed magnetic field. While this issue is very important, currently the only method to reduce the blood viscosity is to take medicine, such as aspirin. When blood is viscous, in addition to a high blood pressure required for the blood circulation, blood vessel walls are also easy to be damaged. Empirical fitting equations predicting relative apparent blood viscosity from tube diameter and hematocrit are presented. Blood viscosity is a major player in heart disease.

What is blood viscosity