A Comparative Study of Blood Viscometers of 3 Different Types

Abstract

Abstract The greater the viscosity of the blood is, the more difficult the flow of theblood becomes, and the incidence of diseases caused by blood circulation disorders increases. Diseases related to increased viscosity are commonly associated with the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular system. [1,2] High blood viscosity is the cause of circulatory system diseases. Studies showing that blood viscosity can be accurately measured and applied in clinical trials to prevent diseases of the circulatory system can be found in the literature. [3] Viscosity data can exhibit variations depending on the viscosity measurement methods, even if the methods are rooted in hydrodynamic principles. Even though it is an approved blood viscometer, the results of blood viscosity often differ depending on the type of viscometer. This has the potential to create confusion within the medical field. Informing whether measurement results differ depending on the viscometer and what the level of error is for each measurement method will help reduce confusion in the medical community. To our knowledge, the degree of difference in viscosity measurement results due to differences in these measurement methods and the cause of the difference have not yet been explored. In this study, three blood viscosity measurement methods registered with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of Korea were selected to study the same canine blood. The viscosity measurements were carried out using each device and compared. The parallel plate and scanning capillary methods had similar viscosity values, while the cone plate method had lower viscosity values. The viscosity of blood, as measured by the three viscometers, differed, and more experimental data must be accumulated to evaluate the cause of the difference between these methods. In this paper, we pointed out several causes of inconsistency and suggested some measures for people to avoid this confusion. However, confirming that the test results show systematic differences is expected to help clinicians who diagnose and prescribe patients using blood viscosity results. The results of this comparative study are expected to be the starting point for the establishment of guidelines or standards for blood measurement methods.