Figure 1

(Color online) Images of fluid extraction and the presence of granules. (a) Stereomicroscopic image of a NTS. A glass capillary was carefully injected in situ into the BHC by means of an $x\text{−}y\text{−}z$ micromanipulator under stereomicroscope guidance, and negative pressure was loaded in the capillary to extract the intrinsic liquid in the NTS. Scale bar represents $2\mathrm{mm}$. (b) Phase contrast microscopic image of the tip of a glass capillary after liquid extraction from the NTS shown in (a). It was possible to observe the granules inside the glass capillary without distortion or defocusing in the $20–50\mu \mathrm{m}$ diameter tip region of the capillary diameter. Several granules with a diameter of $0.8\pm 0.1\mu \mathrm{m}$ could be observed. They were moving randomly in the glass capillary and could be imaged in-focus only in the tip-part of the capillary (inner diameter approximately $20\mu \mathrm{m}$), in which the effect of the optical ray deflection by the capillary wall was minimized. Scale bar represents $10\mu \mathrm{m}$.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 2

(Color online) Two-dimensional (2D) plots of granule motion. (a) An example of the 2D trajectory of a granule in the liquid extracted from NTS showing a typical random motion in plane at room temperature $(25°\mathrm{C})$. The $x$ and $y$ axes represent the $x$ and $y$ positions in pixels, respectively. Scale $\text{bar}=1\mu \mathrm{m}$. (b) Plot of the 2D mean-squared displacement of the granules with time. The $x$ and $y$ axes represent time (s) and mean squared displacement $\left({\mathrm{m}}^2\right)$, respectively. The plot shows a well-fitted linear curve having a slope of $1.5\pm 0.1\times {10}^{-12}{\mathrm{m}}^2∕\mathrm{s}$, consistent with Brownian motion of the granules.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 3

Biofluid viscosities of rabbit. The data was reconstituted from a previous data table (Windberger et al.), with the value of the NTS liquid (BHLV). The viscosity of the liquid extracted from NTSs (approximately $1.4\mathrm{mPa}\mathrm{s}$) is comparable to that of blood plasma (approximately $1.3\mathrm{mPa}\mathrm{s}$). The viscosity of the NTS liquid (BHLV) is significantly lower than that of whole blood (WBV) and is similar with that of blood plasma (PV).Reuse & Permissions