Rheological properties of biological fluids are closely linked to various physiological processes. For instance, imbalances in blood viscosity are closely linked to the development of conditions such as coronary heart disease, peripheral artery diseases, stroke, and hyperviscosity syndromes. However, existing rotational-based and tube-based rheometry devices are unsuitable for measuring the viscosity of biological fluids due to the need for sample contact and cleaning the testing chamber between each sample. Moreover, not all biological fluids can be sampled in significant volumes, as is the case with blood. In this study, we present a non-contact rheometry method based on capillary waves in a shallow regime for evaluating the viscosity of thin layer fluid (sub-millimeter to micrometer depth) using acoustic radiation force-based optical coherence elastography (ARF-OCE) and compared with theoretical simulations.
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