Speaker
Description
This study investigates the effects of electric fields on red blood cell (RBC) movement in whole blood, focusing on simulating realistic exposure conditions. It is part of a broader effort to elucidate the biological effects of extremely low frequency (ELF) electric fields and understand their impact on living systems. In previous work, we demonstrated that electric fields significantly influence RBC migration velocity, with electrophoresis dominating under direct current (DC) fields and dielectrophoresis under alternating current (AC) fields. These findings, however, were obtained using uniform electric fields. To address this limitation, we developed a system with electrodes designed for non-uniform electric field distributions, closer to those encountered in the human body during exposure.
The experimental setup included electrodes arranged in curved and straight configurations relative to the x-axis, enabling detailed investigation of RBC velocity under varying electric field distributions. The theoretical basis for RBC movement was analyzed using equations describing electric field strength and its gradients. Experimental results showed that RBC velocities closely matched theoretical predictions, particularly in cases involving complex field geometries. While minor discrepancy was observed under certain AC exposure conditions, the optimal approximation curves aligned well with theoretical models.
These results suggest that electrophoresis and dielectrophoresis are the primary mechanisms governing RBC movement under DC and AC electric fields, even in whole blood in spatially inhomogeneous fields. By bridging theoretical analysis with experimental validation, this study provides insights into ELF electric fields' biological effects and lays a foundation for biomedical applications.
