Modeling centrifugal cell washers using computational fluid dynamics.
Reinfusion of shed blood during surgery could avoid the need for blood transfusions. Prior to reinfusion of the red blood cells, the shed blood must be washed in order to remove leukocytes, platelets, and other contaminants. Further, the hematocrit of the washed blood must be increased. The feasibility of using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to guide the design of better centrifuges for processing shed blood is explored here. The velocity field within a centrifuge bowl and the rate of protein removal from the shed blood has been studied. The results obtained indicate that CFD could help screen preliminary centrifuge bowl designs, thus reducing the number of initial experimental tests required when developing new centrifuge bowls. Although the focus of this work is on washing shed blood, the methods developed here are applicable to the design of centrifuge bowls for other blood-processing applications.
Kellet
Beth E
BE
Department of Chemical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
Han
Binbing
B
Dandy
David S
DS
Wickramasinghe
S Ranil
SR
D001781:Blood Component Removal; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002498:Centrifugation; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004867:Equipment Design; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D018056:Hemorheology; D006801:Humans; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular
D001798:Blood Proteins