Adhesive Force Between Biconcave Red Blood Cell Membrane and Bulk Substrate

Adhesion between a red blood cell and substrates is essential to many biophysical processes and has significant implications for medical applications. This study derived a theoretical formula for the adhesive force between a red blood cell and a bulk substrate, incorporating the Hamaker constant to account for van der Waals interactions. The derivation is based on a biconcave shape of an RBC, described by the well-known Ouyang–Helfrich equation and its analytical solution developed by Ouyang. The theoretical predictions align with experimental observations and the empirical spherical model, revealing a $F\propto D^{-2.5}$ relationship for biconcave RBCs versus $F\propto D^{-2}$ for spheres. While the current study focuses on idealized geometries and static conditions, future work will extend these findings to more complex environmental conditions, such as dynamic flow and interactions with plasma proteins, thereby broadening the applicability of the model. This work bridges foundational research in cell membrane mechanics with practical applications in hemostatic materials, platelet adhesion, and biomaterials engineering. The findings provide insights for designing advanced biological sensors, surgical tools, and innovative medical materials with enhanced biocompatibility and performance.