Three-dimensional simulation of mass transfer in artificial kidneys.
In this work, the three-dimensional velocity and concentration fields on both the blood and dialysate sides in an artificial kidney were simulated, taking into account the effects of the flow profiles induced by the inlet and outlet geometrical structures and the interaction between the flows of blood and dialysate. First, magnetic resonance imaging experiments were performed to validate the mathematical model. Second, the effects of the flow profiles induced by the blood and dialysate inlet and outlet geometrical structures on mass transfer were theoretically investigated. Third, the clearance of toxins was compared with the clearance value calculated by a simple model that is based on the ideal flow profiles on both the blood and dialysate sides. Our results show that as the blood flow rate increases, the flow field on the blood side becomes less uniform; however, as the dialysate flow rate increases, the flow field on the dialysate side becomes more uniform. The effect of the inlet and outlet geometrical structures of the dialysate side on the velocity and concentration fields is more significant than that of the blood side. Due to the effects of the flow profiles induced by the inlet and outlet geometrical structures, the true clearance of toxins is lower than the ideal clearance, especially when the dialysate flow rate is low or the blood flow rate is high. The results from this work are significant for the structural optimization of artificial kidneys and the accurate prediction of toxin clearance.
Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China.|Department of Electronic Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Weiping
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3331-1011
W
Ding
Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China.|Department of Electronic Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Weili
W
Li
Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Sijie
S
Sun
School of Mechatronics Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Xiaoming
X
Zhou
Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
Peter A
PA
Hardy
Scribner Kidney Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
Suhail
S
Ahmad
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Dayong
D
Gao
D001692:Biological Transport; D003198:Computer Simulation; D015314:Dialysis Solutions; D006801:Humans; D007688:Kidneys, Artificial; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008954:Models, Biological; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000379:methods*
D015314:Dialysis Solutions; D008567:Membranes, Artificial
Artificial kidney; Clearance; Hollow fiber; Magnetic resonance imaging; Mass transfer