Fluid Dynamic Analysis of IAHF (Intra Arterial Heparin Flushing) Stroke Therapy in Microfluidic Channel

Abstract

Ischemic Stroke is a disease that inhibits blood supply to the brain. One method in handling ischemic stroke patient is Intra Arterial Heparin Flushing (IAHF) which has been claimed to be able to improve motoric function of a patient. However, in vitro clinical research to understand IAHF is scarce. One of in vitro methods can be applied is using microfluidic. This research aims to create a microfluidic system that can represents blood vessel system of a stroke patient and to quantify volumetric flow rate of 1,3-Propanediol (as a blood model) in microfluidic channels. Microfluidic which is made of acrylic with a square-wave design, is employed to represent a thrombotic ischemic stroke and embolic ischemic with the addition of wax to represent plaque in blood vessel. Various viscosity of 1,3-propanediol are applied (1.5 mPa. s; 4 mPa. s; 7.2 mPa. s) to represent the effects of heparin drug. The results indicate that fluid Reynold number in the microfluidic channel are 8.8023 x10−4 and 12.3230 x10−4 which is fall in the area of Reynold number laminar flow such as in blood vessels. Volumetric flow rate of 1,3-propanediol decreases when the viscosity increases and when wax is situated in the microfluidic channel. Diluted 1,3-propanediol (at a viscosity of 1.5 mpas) shows similar volumetric flow rate (when it passes through microfluidic channels with wax) with normal blood viscosity 4,0 mpas (when it passes microfluidic channels without wax). This similarity indicates an increase of blood flow when heparin is added in excess in IAHF method, which induces an improvement of organ motoric function.