Development and evaluation of simulation methods for blood flow within the microcirculation
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Date
2024-10-10
Authors
Βουλογκίτσα, Ζωή
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Abstract
The aim of this diploma thesis is to model blood flow in realistic microvascular networks and to derive key medical indicators. Three different rheological models were used in order to simulate blood flow in a single vessel, alongside two others that address the uneven distribution of hema-tocrit in diverging vessel bifurcations. Three real microvascular networks were employed for the purposes of this work. The corresponding experimental data were also employed for the comparison between the calculated values of these networks with the computationally derived ones. Additionally, an empirical law for vessel resistance was incorporated into the comparative analysis. Following an in-depth theoretical analysis of blood flow in the microcirculation, examining various phenomena and paradoxical effects, we developed a mathematical formulation for modeling these networks. We developed new computational methods, which were subsequently implemented into a programming environment to calculate volumetric flow, pressure drop, and hematocrit values across entire microvascular networks. The computational results demonstrate satisfactory agreement with the experimental data. The primary objective of this work is to advance the personalization and optimization of medical examinations, envisioning a future in which simulations of patient-specific microvascular networks may diminish the reliance on invasive or costly medical tests.
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Keywords
Hemorheology, Simulation, Microcirculation, Blood