Numerical simulation of blood flows with non-uniform distribution of erythrocytes and platelets

Abstract

Blood cell interactions present an important mechanism in many processes occurring in blood. Due to different blood cell properties, cells of different types behave differently in the flow. Among the observed phenomena is segregation of erythrocytes, which group near the flow axis, from platelets, which migrate towards the blood vessel wall. In this work, a three dimensional model based on the Dissipative Particle Dynamics method is used to study the interaction of erythrocytes and platelets in a flow inside a cylindrical channel. Erythrocytes are modelled as elastic highly deformable membranes, while platelets are modelled as elastic spherical membranes which tend to preserve their spherical shape. As the result of the modelling, the separation of erythrocytes and platelets in a cylindrical vessel flow is shown for vessels of different diameters. Erythrocyte and platelet distribution profiles in the vessel cross-section are in good agreement with the existing experimental results. The described 3-D model can be used for further modelling of blood flow-related problems.