Abstract
A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed to simulate the flow and delivery of oxygen and other substances in a capillary network. A three-dimensional capillary network has been constructed to replicate the one studied by Secomb et al. (2000), and the computational framework features a non-Newtonian viscosity model of blood and the oxygen transport model including in-stream oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation and wall flux due to tissue absorption, as well as an ability to study delivery of drugs and other materials in the capillary streams. The model is first run to compute the volumetric flow rates from the velocity profiles in the segments and compared with Secomb’s work with good agreement. Effects of abnormal pressure and stenosis conditions, as well as those arising from different capillary configurations, on the flow and oxygen delivery are investigated, along with a brief look at the unsteady effects and drug dispersion in the capillary network. The current approach allows for inclusion of oxygen and other material transports, including drugs, nutrients, or contaminants based on the flow simulations. Also, three-dimensional models of complex circulatory systems ranging in scale from macro- to microvascular vessels, in principle, can be constructed and analyzed in detail using the current method.
Highlights
IntroductionThe capillary vessels, among other functions, transport oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other materials (nutrients and drugs) to and from cells
The capillary vessels, among other functions, transport oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other materials to and from cells
The current approach allows for inclusion of oxygen and other material transports, including drugs, nutrients, or contaminants based on the flow simulations
Summary
The capillary vessels, among other functions, transport oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other materials (nutrients and drugs) to and from cells. These smaller blood vessels in the body (the arterioles, venules, and capillaries) make up the so-called microcirculatory system. The microcirculation system inherently includes complex flow patterns such as bifurcations in forward and backward directions, constrictions, and flow turns It is of both academic and practical biomedical interest to be able to determine the fluid dynamics of the circulatory systems, as well as the transport characteristics of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other species, and there have been many works devoted to this topic [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. The critical transports occur in the microvascular network, and understanding of this phenomenon is quite important and may suggest methods to improve and optimize circulation at this level under diverse biomedical conditions of interest
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