Numerical Modelling of Cell Distribution in Blood Flow

¹ Institute of Problems of Mechanical Engineering, Russian Academy of Sciences 199178 Saint Petersburg, Russia
² Manufacturing Research Department, Ford Research Laboratory, 481214 Dearborn, USA
³ Institut Camille Jordan, UMR 5208 CNRS, University Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
⁴ INRIA Team Dracula, INRIA Antenne Lyon la Doua, 69603 Villeurbanne, France
⁵ National Research Center for Haematology, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, 125167 Moscow, Russia
⁶ Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Paediatric Haematology, Oncology and Immunology Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, 117198 Moscow, Russia
⁷ Faculty of Physics, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
⁸ Center for Theoretical Problems of Physicochemical Pharmacology Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
⁹ European Institute of Systems Biology and Medicine, 69007 Lyon, France
¹⁰ Department of Mahematics, Mechanics and Computer Science Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia

^⋆ Corresponding author. E-mail: nickbessonov@yahoo.com

Abstract

Properties of blood cells and their interaction determine their distribution in flow. It is observed experimentally that erythrocytes migrate to the flow axis, platelets to the vessel wall, and leucocytes roll along the vessel wall. In this work, a three-dimensional model based on Dissipative Particle Dynamics method and a new hybrid (discrete-continuous) model for blood cells is used to study the interaction of erythrocytes with platelets and leucocytes in flow. Erythrocytes are modelled as elastic highly deformable membranes, while platelets and leucocytes as elastic membranes with their shape close to a sphere. Separation of erythrocytes and platelets in flow is shown for different values of hematocrit. Erythrocyte and platelet distributions are in a good qualitative agreement with the existing experimental results. Migration of leucocyte to the vessel wall and its rolling along the wall is observed.