Reply to the ‘Comment on “Dynamics and rheology of vesicles under confined Poiseuille flow”’ by G. Coupier and T. Podgorski, Soft Matter, 2024, 20, DOI: 10.1039/D3SM01679J

Abstract

In this answer, we provide our arguments in support of the possibility to observe the single file-organization of red blood cells in microvessels and the resulting unexpectedly weak increase of blood viscosity with increasing hematocrit, the physiological relevance of which was questioned in the comment. The key element is that the equivalent diameter in 3D for the maximal hematocrit corresponding to a single file of red blood cells is about 10 µm and not 20 µm, as in 2D. In addition, the viscosity contrast (ratio between the cell internal and external viscosities) value must be chosen in our 2D simulation in a such a way that the effective viscosity (a linear combination of the internal, external and membrane viscosities) be close to that of a real RBC. Taking these two facts into account, we find a reasonable agreement between our 2D viscosity simulations data and experimental data, despite the crude 2D assumption.