A solution that simulates whole blood in a model of the cerebral circulation.

An accurate elastic model of the human craniocervical arteries has been developed to study flow characteristics in normal and abnormal states (Kerber et al., paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Neuroradiology, Orlando, March 1989). Flow perturbations at various Reynolds numbers can be created easily and the effects evaluated by observing the flow streamlines directly. However, perfusing whole blood, albumin preparations, or pure water in the model has been unsatisfactory. Whole blood, except in small arteries, is not transparent and carries the risk of infection to the experimenter. Albumin is costly, decomposes rapidly, and is an excellent culture medium. Water, though transparent and inexpensive, is newtonian. Therefore, we have endeavored to find a liquid that has nonnewtonian viscocity characteristics approximating those of whole blood while avoiding its disadvantages.