Mathematical modelling of fibre-enhanced perfusion inside a tissue-engineering bioreactor.
We develop a simple mathematical model for forced flow of culture medium through a porous scaffold in a tissue-engineering bioreactor. Porous-walled hollow fibres penetrate the scaffold and act as additional sources of culture medium. The model, based on Darcy's law, is used to examine the nutrient and shear-stress distributions throughout the scaffold. We consider several configurations of fibres and inlet and outlet pipes. Compared with a numerical solution of the full Navier-Stokes equations within the complex scaffold geometry, the modelling approach is cheap, and does not require knowledge of the detailed microstructure of the particular scaffold being used. The potential of this approach is demonstrated through quantification of the effect the additional flow from the fibres has on the nutrient and shear-stress distribution.
Whittaker
Robert J
RJ
Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, OX13LB, UK.
Booth
Richard
R
Dyson
Rosemary
R
Bailey
Clare
C
Parsons Chini
Louise
L
Naire
Shailesh
S
Payvandi
Sevil
S
Rong
Zimei
Z
Woollard
Hannah
H
Cummings
Linda J
LJ
Waters
Sarah L
SL
Mawasse
Lina
L
Chaudhuri
Julian B
JB
Ellis
Marianne J
MJ
Michael
Vipin
V
Kuiper
Nicola J
NJ
Cartmell
Sarah
S
D019149:Bioreactors; D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D010477:Perfusion; D016062:Porosity; D012212:Rheology; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
D003470:Culture Media