Micropore filters for measuring red blood cell deformability and their pore diameters

Micropore filters are the most important components in micropore filtration testes for assessing red blood cell (RBC) deformability. With regard to their appearance and filtration behaviors, comparisons are made for different kinds of filters currently in use. Nickel filters with regular geometric characteristics are found to be more sensitive to the effects of physical, chemical, especially pathological factors on the RBC deformability. We have critically reviewed the following viewpoint that filters with 3 μm pore diameter are more sensitive to cell volume than to internal viscosity while filters with 5 μm pore diameter are just the opposite. After analyzing the experiment results with 3 μm and 5 μm filters, we point out that filters with smaller pore diameters are more suitable for assessing the RBC deformability.