Title: A unified analysis of nano-to-microscale particle dispersion in tubular blood flow

Abstract

Transport of solid particles in blood flow exhibits qualitative differences in the transport mechanism when the particle varies from nanoscale to microscale size comparable to the red blood cell (RBC). The result of microscale particle margination has been investigated by several groups. Moreover, the transport of nanoscale particles (NPs) in blood has received considerable attention in the past. Our report attempts to bridge the gap by quantitatively showing how the transport mechanism varies with particle size from nano-to-microscale. Using a three-dimensional (3D) multiscale method, the dispersion of particles in microscale tubular flows is investigated for various hematocrits, vessel diameters, and particle sizes. NPs exhibit a nonuniform, smoothly dispersed distribution across the tube radius due to severe Brownian motion. The near-wall concentration of NPs can be moderately enhanced by increasing hematocrit and confinement. Furthermore, there exists a critical particle size (~1 μm) that leads to excessive retention of particles in the cell-free region near the wall, i.e., margination. Above this threshold, the margination propensity increases with the particle size. The dominance of RBC-enhanced shear-induced diffusivity (RESID) over Brownian diffusivity (BD) results in 10 times higher radial diffusion rates in the RBC-laden region compared to that in the cell-free layer, correlated withmore » the high margination propensity of microscale particles. This work captures the particle size-dependent transition from Brownian-motion dominant dispersion to margination using a unified 3D multiscale computational approach and highlights the linkage between the radial distribution of RESID and the margination of particles in confined blood flows.« less

Authors:

Liu, Z.  ^[1];

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Clausen, J. R. ^[2]; Rekha, R. R. ^[2]; Aidun, C. K. ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)
2. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Publication Date:

2019-08-20

Research Org.:

Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Science Foundation (NSF)

OSTI Identifier:

1559521

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1557915

Report Number(s):

SAND-2019-9751J
Journal ID: ISSN 1070-6631; 678638

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC04-94AL85000; 2506X36

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Physics of Fluids

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 31; Journal Issue: 8; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-6631

Publisher:

American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES