EFFECT OF A HIGH-FREQUENCY VIBRATION BOUNDARY ON RBC

Abstract

The vibrations in blood pumps were often caused by high speed, suspension structure, viscoelastic implantation environment and other factors in practical application. Red blood cell (RBC) was modeled using a nonlinear spring network model. The immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method (IB-LBM) was used to investigate the impact of high-frequency vibration boundary on RBC. To confirm the RBC model, the simulation results of RBC stretching were compared with experimental results. We examined the force acting on RBC membrane nodes; moreover, we determined whether RBC energy was affected by different frequencies, amplitudes, and vibration models of the boundary. Furthermore, we examined whether RBC energy was affected by the distance between the top and bottom boundaries. The energy of RBCs in shear flow disturbed by the vibration boundary was also investigated. The results indicate that larger amplitude (Am), frequency (Fr), and opposite vibration velocity of top and bottom boundary produced a larger force that acted on RBC membrane nodes and larger energy changes in RBCs. The vibration boundary may cause turbulence and alter RBC energy. When the blood pump was designed and optimized, the vibration frequency and amplitude of the blood pump body and impeller should be reduced, the phase of the blood pump body and impeller vibration velocity should be close. To alleviate the free energy of RBCs and to reduce RBC injury in the blood pump, the distance between RBCs and the boundary should not be less than 20[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m.