Deformation of biological cells by electric fields: Theoretical prediction of the deformed shape

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Abstract
Biological cells, sickled human erythrocytes in particular, have been observed to undergo pronounced shape changes (deformation) when subjected to low frequency electrical fields. It has been suggested that the observed deformation is due to the mechanical stresses induced by the electrical field on the cell membrane. These mechanical stresses and their surface distribution can be calculated by means of the Maxwell Stress Tensor (MST). The cellular deformation due to the electric field is computed here by modelling a ‘typical’ cell as an ellipsoid with a thin shell. The cell membrane is assumed to be an incompressible material whose deformation is associated with both bending and shear energies. The principle of virtual work is then employed to compute the cellular shape and volume as a function of the external field strengths and the orientation of the cell with respect to the field.