Use the magnetic field to reduce blood viscosity

2011/09/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Anatomia/Fisiologia
• Fisika

Two American physicists, Temple and Michigan, have explained in the journal Physical Review E that large magnetic fields can significantly reduce the viscosity of blood circulating through a tube. If this same effect occurs in the blood of the vessels, it has been indicated that it could be replaced by current blood containment treatments.

During the experiment, the blood was put into motion in a measuring device of blood viscosity, inside an electromagnet that generates a magnetic field of 1.3 Teslas. It was observed that blood viscosity decreased between 20 and 30% when it remained under the influence of the magnetic field. Outside the magnetic field, for approximately two hours, the blood returned to its original state.

According to the researchers, the magnetic field affects the hemoglobin of the blood and, in particular, its iron. Red blood cells are ordered with respect to magnetic field lines, which causes various ways to reduce viscosity. On the one hand, red blood cells acquire an aerodynamic position with respect to the direction of the flow and, on the other, tend to unite forming cell groups. It could be thought that cell groups provoke an increase in viscosity and not a decrease, but the researchers have explained that the total surface occupied by cells decreases, which reduces friction and, therefore, viscosity.

The researchers are designing a device that allows to introduce an arm or leg to check if the method influences the vessels.