A three-dimensional model of primary thrombus formation based on fluid dynamics and level sets

ABSTRACT

In this paper, a three-dimensional (3D) multiscale model is proposed for the formation process of a primary thrombus. In the model, blood plasma is modelled by Navier–Stokes equations in macroscale because the blood plasma is seen as a continuous viscous fluid. The adhesion and aggregation of platelets are the main physiological processes of primary thrombus formation. As platelets and the primary thrombus are seen as rigid solids, these physiological processes are modelled in microscale according to the force related to the distance between the two solid bodies. We use level sets to represent the growth of the primary thrombus in 3D, and the multiscale model is applied to the 3D simulation of the primary thrombus formation. From numerical observations, the appearance of the formation process shows that it was affected by the change of blood-flow velocities. We can conclude that the appearance of the primary thrombus affects vascular blood flow.

KEYWORDS:

• Computational model
• primary thrombus
• fluid dynamics
• level set
• 3D simulation

2010 AMS SUBJECT CLASSIFICATIONS:

• 68U20
• 76D05
• 92B05

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.