Viscoelasticity and Blood Rheology — Lesson 1

This lesson covers the concept of viscoelasticity, its application in understanding the rheological behaviour of blood, and the mathematical models used to represent this behaviour. It explains how blood can behave as both a Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid under different conditions. The lesson also introduces the concept of Deborah and Weissenberg numbers, which are used to characterize the viscoelastic behaviour of fluids. It further discusses the spring-dashpot model, a simple model used to represent the rheological behaviour of viscoelastic fluids. The lesson concludes with a brief discussion on the oscillatory shearing motion and the complex viscoelastic behavior of blood.

Video Highlights

02:55 - Introduction to viscoelasticity
06:39 - Discussion on the behavior of viscoelastic materials
12:43 - Discussing the Weissenberg, Die Swell and Memory effects of viscoelastic fluids
18:23 - Introduction to Deborah and Weissenberg numbers
24:15 - Explanation of the spring-dashpot models
31:44 - Discussion on the oscillatory shearing motion and complex viscoelastic behavior of blood

Key Takeaways

- Viscoelasticity is a property of materials that exhibit both viscous and elastic characteristics when undergoing deformation.
- Blood can behave as both a Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid under different conditions, making it a viscoelastic fluid.
- Deborah and Weissenberg numbers are used to characterize the viscoelastic behavior of fluids.
- The spring-dashpot model is a simple model used to represent the rheological behavior of viscoelastic fluids.
- The oscillatory shearing motion and complex viscosity of blood are important aspects in understanding the rheological behavior of blood.