A new two-component approach in modeling red blood cells

Author(s)

Meacci, Luca ^[1] ; Buscaglia, Gustavo C. ^[1] ; Mut, Fernando ^[2] ; Ausas, Roberto F. ^[1] ; Primicerio, Mario ^{[3, 4]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, ICMC, Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[2] George Mason Univ, Bioengn Dept, Fairfax, VA 22030 - USA

^[3] Univ Firenze, Dipartimento Matemat U Dini, Florence - Italy

^[4] CNR, Ist Applicaz Calcolo M Picone, Rome - Italy

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: COMMUNICATIONS IN APPLIED AND INDUSTRIAL MATHEMATICS; v. 11, n. 1, p. 55-71, JAN 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

This work consists in the presentation of a computational modelling approach to study normal and pathological behavior of red blood cells in slow transient processes that can not be accompanied by pure particle methods (which require very small time steps). The basic model, inspired by the best models currently available, considers the cytoskeleton as a discrete non-linear elastic structure. The novelty of the proposed work is to couple this skeleton with continuum models instead of the more common discrete models (molecular dynamics, particle methods) of the lipid bilayer. The interaction of the solid cytoskeleton with the bilayer, which is a two-dimensional fluid, will be done through adhesion forces adapting efficient solid-solid adhesion algorithms. The continuous treatment of the fluid parts is well justified by scale arguments and leads to much more stable and precise numerical problems when, as is the case, the size of the molecules (0.3nm) is much smaller than the overall size (similar or equal to 8000nm). In this paper we display some numerical simulations that show how our approach can describe the interaction of an RBC with an exogenous body as well as the relaxation of the shape of an RBC toward its equilibrium configuration in absence of external forces. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/07375-0 - CeMEAI - Center for Mathematical Sciences Applied to Industry
• Grantee: Francisco Louzada Neto
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC
• FAPESP's process: 18/08752-5 - Advanced numerical multiphase flow modeling
• Grantee: Gustavo Carlos Buscaglia
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research