Particle migration in areas of constricted flow

TL;DR

This study uses computational modeling to analyze how particle shape and size influence their lateral migration in constricted blood flow, which is relevant for targeted drug delivery in stenosed arteries.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed simulation of particle behavior in stenotic flow, highlighting shape-dependent migration patterns relevant for medical applications.

Findings

Rectangular particles migrate more and earlier than circular ones.

Wall-shear stress impacts particle adhesion probabilities.

Particle shape influences margination in constricted flow.

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death globally. Among them, some are linked to stenosis, which is an abnormal narrowing of blood vessels, as well as other factors. Smart drug delivery systems based on micro- and nanoparticles are a promising method to offer non/minimal-invasive therapeutic mechanisms. Here we investigate the propensity of particles with different shapes and sizes to drift laterally (marginate) towards an occlusion area in a two-dimensional (2D) parallel plate laminar flow using the Lattice-Boltzmann method (LBM). To verify the outcomes on both sides of the stenosis, a probability of adhesion to the borders was calculated. Analysis was done on the impact of wall-shear stress on both sides of the stenosis. Our results show that rectangular particles migrate in larger amounts and earlier than circular ones.