Mathematical Models for Some Aspects of Blood Microcirculation

A theoretical model for the Fåhræus effect in medium-large microvessels

This paper presents a mathematical model capable to reproduce a celebrated phenomenon in blood microcirculation known as Fåhræus effect, since its discovery by Robin Fåhræus (1929). This consists in a decaying of the relative hematocrit in small vessels as the vessel diameter decreases. The key point of the model is a formula, direct consequence of the basic principles of fluid dynamics, that links the relative hematocrit to the reservoir hematocrit and the vessel diameter, which confirms the observed behavior. To test the model we selected, among the few experiments carried on since then, those performed by Barbee and Cokelet (1971). The agreement is remarkable. An extended comparison is also carried out with a celebrated empirical formula proposed by Pries et al. (1992) to describe the same phenomenon.

On a Casson Fluid Motion: Nonuniform Width Symmetric Channel and Peristaltic Flows

Widely used for modeling biological fluids flows—in particular, blood vessel flows—a Casson flow is studied in a symmetric channel for which the aspect ratio enables one to use the lubrication approximation. Two flow driving conditions are prescribed: inlet–outlet pressure difference and peristaltic oscillations of the vessel walls. In both cases, starting from mass and momentum balance and using lubrication approximation, we investigate the conditions to be imposed on the driving mechanisms so that the inner plug does not come in touch with the walls. The study of the peristaltic flow is of great importance in view of its applications in physiology (including microcirculation applications).