Synergetics of Blood Movement Through Microvascular Networks: Causes and Consequences of Nonlinear Pressure-Flow Relationships

The Role of Rheology in Hemapheresis

“…The synergetic concept was introduced by the German physicist, Haken, in 1969 and has found widespread application in physics, biology, computer science, sociology, economics, and the theory of science. It was introduced in rheology by Schmid‐Schönbein in 1990 (41). If the perfusion within a capillary network is compromised due to a cell related increase of viscosity (hematocrit dependent in polycythemia, leukostasis in acute myelocytic leukemia) or due to an increase of plasma proteins with rheological relevance (for instance fibrinogen or α2‐macroglobulin associated with erythrocyte aggregation), sudden changes of phase stage with continuously increasing intensity may occur.…”

Arterial Thrombosis as a Consequence of 'Quasi-Chaotic' Coordination of Mechanical and Chemical Events

“…As discussed elsewhere [23], the concept of a 'dissipa tive structuring' of movements is indeed very helpful for understanding not only the coordinated mode of operation of blood moving in the microvessels but of many other cellular and molecular movements as well. One can refer to the operation of the entire cardiovascular system as the consequence of coherence in the 'rundown' (see Appendix) of multiple interdigitating subprocesses.…”

“…Whether 'physiological' or 'pathological' in nature [19], such spontaneous transi tions into a new mode of operation require that a system has been driven into a 'boosted steady state', a 'dynamic equilibrium' or a 'Fliessgleichgewicht' (to use an expres sion coined by Von Bertalanffy, [20]). These concepts have previously been applied [19,[21][22][23] to the interpre tation of pivotal pathological cardiovascular events: low flow states, unpredictable coronary thrombotic reactions and atherogenesis. All of these have a loss of functional coherence as a common denominator.…”