Estimation of Size of Red Blood Cell Aggregates Using Reference Power Spectra

Recently, to directly estimate the size of red blood cell (RBC) aggregates, we introduced reference power spectra calculated by the measured power spectrum for an ultrafine wire with a hemispherical edge and the theoretical power spectra for single-sphere scatterers. In this study, in vivo experiments were demonstrated. The average estimated size of RBC aggregates at rest was 8 μm, corresponding to the size of a single RBC. That during avascularization was 14 μm, which is caused by the aggregation of RBCs. This method will be useful for the evaluation of blood properties.