Open Access

ARTICLE

Application of Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics Method for Modelling Blood Flow with Thrombus Formation

by M. Al-Saad, C. A. Suarez, A. Obeidat, S. P. A. Bordas, S. Kulasegaram

1 School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK.
2 Department of Engineering, Institute of Computational Engineering, University of Luxembourg, Maison du Nombre, 6 Avenue de la Fonte, 4364 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
3 Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
4 Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, CentraleMarseille, LMA, Marseille, France.

* Corresponding Author: S. P. A. Bordas. Email: .

Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences 2020, 122(3), 831-862. https://doi.org/10.32604/cmes.2020.08527

Received 03 September 2019; Accepted 16 January 2020; Issue published 01 March 2020

Abstract

Thrombosis plays a crucial role in atherosclerosis or in haemostasis when a blood vessel is injured. This article focuses on using a meshless particle-based Lagrangian numerical technique, the smoothed particles hydrodynamic (SPH) method, to study the flow behaviour of blood and to explore the flow parameters that induce formation of a thrombus in a blood vessel. Due to its simplicity and effectiveness, the SPH method is employed here to simulate the process of thrombogenesis and to study the effect of various blood flow parameters. In the present SPH simulation, blood is modelled by two sets of particles that have the characteristics of plasma and of platelet, respectively. To simulate coagulation of platelets which leads to a thrombus, the so-called adhesion and aggregation mechanisms of the platelets during this process are modelled by an inter-particle force model. The transport of platelets in the flowing blood, platelet adhesion and aggregation processes are coupled with viscous blood flow for various low Reynolds number scenarios. The numerical results are compared with the experimental observations and a good agreement is found between the simulated and experimental results.

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