title: Computational simulation of the blood separation process.
abstract: The aim of this work is to construct a computational fluid dynamics model capable of simulating the quasitransient process of apheresis. To this end a Lagrangian-Eulerian model has been developed which tracks the blood particles within a delineated two-dimensional flow domain. Within the Eulerian method, the fluid flow conservation equations within the separator are solved. Taking the calculated values of the flow field and using a Lagrangian method, the displacement of the blood particles is calculated. Thus, the local blood density within the separator at a given time step is known. Subsequently, the flow field in the separator is recalculated. This process continues until a quasisteady behavior is reached. The simulations show good agreement with experimental results. They shows a complete separation of plasma and red blood cells, as well as nearly complete separation of red blood cells and platelets. The white blood cells build clusters in the low concentrate cell bed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Thermodynamics in Emerging Technologies, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Gruttola
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boomsma
authors.forename: Dimos
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Poulikakos
authors.forename: Yiannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ventikos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001773:Blood Cells; D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000379:methods*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D018056:Hemorheology / Q000379:methods*; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular