Simulated Red Blood Cell Motion in Microvessel Bifurcations: Effects of Cell-Cell Interactions on Cell Partitioning (original) (raw)

Cardiovascular engineering and technology, 2011

Abstract

Partitioning of red blood cell (RBC) fluxes between the branches of a diverging microvessel bifurcation is generally not proportional to the flow rates, as RBCs preferentially enter the higher-flow branch. A two-dimensional model for RBC motion and deformation is used to investigate the effects of cell-cell mechanical interactions on RBC partitioning in bifurcations. The RBC membrane and cytoplasm are represented by sets of viscoelastic elements immersed in a low Reynolds number flow. Several types of two-cell interactions that can affect partitioning are found. In the most frequent interactions, a `trade-off' occurs, in which a cell entering one branch causes a following cell to enter the other branch. Other types of interactions include `herding,' where the leading cell is caused to enter the same branch as the following cell, and `following,' where the trailing cell is caused to enter the same branch as the leading cell. The combined effect of these cell-cell interact...

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