NUMERICAL MODEL OF OXYGEN TRANSPORT IN A BIOARTIFICIAL LIVER DEVICE

摘要

In this paper we present a numerical investigation of the oxygen tension in a bioreactor for a bioartificial liver (BAL) composed of plasma-perfused chambers containing monolayers of porcine hepatocytes. The chambers consist of parallel discs with center-to-edge radial flow. The oxygen uptake rate (OUR), measured in vitro for porcine hepatocytes, was curve-fitted using Michaelis-Menten kinetics. We found that both the plasma flow rate and the initial oxygen tension have an important effect upon oxygen transport. Furthermore, they can be regulated in order to improve the oxygen distribution within the BAL chambers.