Numerical simulation on effect of red blood cell motion on flow behavior of liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin

摘要

We simulated flows in microvascular vessels containing deformable red blood cells (RBCs) and liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin (LEH) particles. Blood flow was computed by the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), and fluid-membrane interaction between the flow field and RBCs was incorporated using the immersed boundary method (IBM). The simulation results indicated that the LEH dispersion in a direction perpendicular to the main flow was largely affected by the presence of RBCs. In particular, LEH dispersion was high in the presence of rigid RBCs with low deformability. These results could provide essential information for designing LEH-mediated efficient oxygen supply to tissues.