A new mechanism to deform Red Blood Cells

This master's thesis focuses on the design and development of an Electro-Microfluidic device, aiming to establish a non-uniform electric field within an integrated electrode. The primary objective is to investigate the behavior of Red Blood Cells (RBCs) under electric shear stress. The main approach involves applying electric shear force to RBCs positioned on an electrode and subsequently measuring the electrical resistance of the sample. This analysis aims to assess the biomechanical characteristics of RBCs, serving as valuable biomarkers for monitoring the impact of diseases on these cells and their resulting functional changes. Additionally, this research has the potential to become a point of care device with a robust design, suitable for low resources settings and also streamline drug development testing by reducing the duration of testing protocols.