The Open Medical Informatics Journal

2010, 4 : 164-170
Published online 2010 September 1. DOI: 10.2174/1874431101004010164
Publisher ID: TOMINFOJ-4-164

RESEARCH ARTICLE
Preliminary Characterization of Erythrocytes Deformability on the Entropy-Complexity Plane

Ana M Korol1,2 , Mabel D’Arrigo1 , Patricia Foresto1 , Susana Pérez1 , Maria T Martín3 and Osualdo A Rosso, *,4,5
1 Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531 (2000), Rosario, Argentina
2 Applied Optical Group, Instituto de Física Rosario, CERIDER, CONICET, Argentina
3 Instituto de Física (IFLP-CCT-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
4 Departamento de Física, Instituto de Cienciâs Exactas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627 - Campus Pampulha, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte - MG, Brazil
5 Chaos & Biology Group, Instituto de Cálculo, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria. 1428 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

* Address correspondence to this author at the Departamento de Física, Instituto de Cienciâs Exactas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil; Tel:+55-31-3409-6633; Fax:+55-61-3409-5800; E-mail: , oarosso@fibertel.com.ar

ABSTRACT

We present an application of wavelet-based Information Theory quantifiers (Normalized Total Shannon Entropy, MPR-Statistical Complexity and Entropy-Complexity plane) on red blood cells membrane viscoelasticity characterization. These quantifiers exhibit important localization advantages provided by the Wavelet Theory. The present approach produces a clear characterization of this dynamical system, finding out an evident manifestation of a random process on the red cell samples of healthy individuals, and its sharp reduction of randomness on analyzing a human haematological disease, such as β-thalassaemia minor.

Keywords:

Red blood cells, entropy, statistical complexity, wavelets, information theory.