Numerical model validation of the blood flow through a microchannel hyperbolic contraction

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of blood flow through hyperbolic contraction with a discrete phase model (DPM) was experimentally validated. For this purpose, the positions and velocities of red blood cells (RBCs) flowing in a microchannel with hyperbolic contraction were experimentally assessed using image analysis techniques, and were subsequently compared with the numerical results. The numerically and experimentally obtained velocity fields were in good agreement, with errors smaller than 10%. Additionally, a nearly constant strain rate was observed in the contraction region, which can be attributed to the quasilinear increase in the velocity along the hyperbolic contraction. Therefore, the numerical technique used was validated due to the close similarity between the numerically and experimentally obtained results. The tested CFD model can be used to optimize the microchannel design by minimizing the need to fabricate prototypes and evaluate them experimentally. This work has been supported by the projects 2022.06207.PTDC (DOI:10.54499/ 2022.06207.PTDC), PTDC/EEI-EEE/2846/2021 and EXPL/EME-EME/0732/2021, through national funds (OE), within the scope of the Scientific Research and Technological Development Projects (IC&DT) program in all scientific domains (PTDC), through the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. (FCT, I.P). The authors also acknowledge the partial financial support within the R&D Units Project Scope and by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC): UIDB/04077/2020, UIDB/04436/2020, UIDB/00532/2020, LA/P/0045/2020.