Here, we present oxygen gradient ektacytometry, a rapid and reproducible method to measure red blood cell deformability in samples from patients with sickle cell disease under controlled deoxygenation and reoxygenation. This technique provides a way to study red blood cell sickling and to monitor sickle cell disease treatment efficacy.
Rab, M. A., van Oirschot, B. A., Bos, J., Kanne, C. K., Sheehan, V. A., van Beers, E. J., van Wijk, R. Characterization of Sickling During Controlled Automated Deoxygenation with Oxygen Gradient Ektacytometry. J. Vis. Exp. (153), e60213, doi:10.3791/60213 (2019).