Abstract
Background: Despite the evolution of Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs), VAD
patients still suffer from complications, often due to damage to the blood
components by fluid dynamic stress. Damage to the leukocytes may contribute
to infections, one of the biggest post-surgical problems. In experiments
destruction of leukocytes was found to depend on impeller speed, flow rate
and the type of leukocyte.
Aim: The aim was to develop a numerical model for leukocyte deformation
to help explain differences in damage levels between VAD operating conditions
and between different cell types.
Methods: The cell was modelled as a spherical compound liquid drop with
concentric nucleus. The Navier- Stokes equations were solved using the finite
volume code OpenFOAM, with a Volume of Fluid method to calculate
fluid volume fractions. The surface tension of the fluids represented the
membranes. The effects of shear stress and elongational stress, on cells with
nuclei of different sizes, representing either neutrophils (small nucleus) or
lympohcytes (large nucleus), was investigated.
Results: Under both elongational and shear stress the cells with the smaller
nuclei deformed more than those with the larger nuclei. This could help to
explain why neutrophils are damaged more than lymphocytes in VADs.
Conclusions: A numerical model of leukocyte deformation has been created
and used to investigate cell deformation under elongational and shear stresses.
patients still suffer from complications, often due to damage to the blood
components by fluid dynamic stress. Damage to the leukocytes may contribute
to infections, one of the biggest post-surgical problems. In experiments
destruction of leukocytes was found to depend on impeller speed, flow rate
and the type of leukocyte.
Aim: The aim was to develop a numerical model for leukocyte deformation
to help explain differences in damage levels between VAD operating conditions
and between different cell types.
Methods: The cell was modelled as a spherical compound liquid drop with
concentric nucleus. The Navier- Stokes equations were solved using the finite
volume code OpenFOAM, with a Volume of Fluid method to calculate
fluid volume fractions. The surface tension of the fluids represented the
membranes. The effects of shear stress and elongational stress, on cells with
nuclei of different sizes, representing either neutrophils (small nucleus) or
lympohcytes (large nucleus), was investigated.
Results: Under both elongational and shear stress the cells with the smaller
nuclei deformed more than those with the larger nuclei. This could help to
explain why neutrophils are damaged more than lymphocytes in VADs.
Conclusions: A numerical model of leukocyte deformation has been created
and used to investigate cell deformation under elongational and shear stresses.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 416 - 416 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Sept 2017 |
| Event | 44th ESAO and 7th IFAO Congress, 2017, Vienna - Vienna, Austria Duration: 6 Sept 2017 → 9 Sept 2017 |
Conference
| Conference | 44th ESAO and 7th IFAO Congress, 2017, Vienna |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Austria |
| City | Vienna |
| Period | 6/09/17 → 9/09/17 |