ABSTRACT
Red blood cells, also known as erythrocytes, are the main constituent of blood and are responsible for the vital function of transporting oxygen to all tissues of the body. Like other cells, when afflicted by a specific pathology, red blood cells might have their normal mechanical properties changed. These alterations are specific to each pathology and can, for example, change the natural frequency of vibration of the cells. Thus, the objective of the present work was to find the first four modes of vibration of normal and pathological red blood cells, resorting to three numerical methods: the Finite Element Method (FEM), a mesh-based method, the Radial Point Interpolation Method (RPIM), and the Natural Neighbour Radial Point Interpolation Method (NNRPIM). Also, the viability of the methods, when applied to this type of analysis, was verified. In the end, it was possible to conclude that all methods promote similar and suitable results.
