Hydrodynamics of Micro Blood Vessels

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "B:Biology and Biomedicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 826

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School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
Interests: kinetic theory; gas dynamics; non-continuum flows; micro/nano-fluidics; compressible fluid mechanics; multiphase and granular flows; swarm behaviour
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Dear Colleagues,

Classical flows of ordinary liquids and gases in micro- and nano-channels, as well as associated porous structures, have exhibited several complex phenomena absent in macroscopic flows. These encompass velocity slip (surface/wall slip), volume diffusion (Knudsen diffusion), and, in certain instances, augmented flow resistance. Rarefied gas and water flows in carbon nanotubes now widely demonstrate these phenomena. Simultaneously, there is broad recognition of the non-Newtonian characteristics of blood flow. However, the theoretical comprehension of blood hydrodynamics in microvessels remains deficient in certain areas, especially concerning novel micro- and nano-scale fluid dynamics. The Fåhraeus–Lindqvist effect is the phenomenon in which the perceived viscosity of blood diminishes when it traverses extremely narrow arteries (less than 300 micrometres in diameter).  A comprehensive theoretical elucidation of this phenomenon remains to be accomplished. This Special Issue seeks to consolidate current advancements in the theoretical and computational description of blood flow hydrodynamics in microvessels, pertinent to comprehending some disease progression.

Dr. S. Kokou Dadzie
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • micro/nano-fluidics
  • microvascular blood flow
  • micro/nanochannel flow
  • micro blood vessels
  • micro- and nano-channels
  • non-newtonian flow

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

26 pages, 7861 KB  
Article
A Numerical Investigation on the Effect of Size and Volume Fraction of Red Blood Cells in a Microchannel with Sudden Expansion
by Cihan Sezer, Kenan Kaya, Mahdi Tabatabaei Malazi and Ahmet Selim Dalkılıç
Micromachines 2026, 17(3), 316; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17030316 - 2 Mar 2026
Viewed by 462
Abstract
This study numerically investigates the effects of red blood cell (RBC) volume fraction (hematocrit) and RBC diameter on cell distribution, cell-free layer (CFL) thickness and pressure drop in a microchannel with sudden expansion. Hematocrit levels of 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5, together with [...] Read more.
This study numerically investigates the effects of red blood cell (RBC) volume fraction (hematocrit) and RBC diameter on cell distribution, cell-free layer (CFL) thickness and pressure drop in a microchannel with sudden expansion. Hematocrit levels of 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5, together with RBC diameters of 4, 8 and 11 µm, are considered, where deviations from the physiological diameter of 8 μm represent pathological conditions. An Euler–Euler approach is employed to model the multiphase flow, treating RBCs as rigid spherical particles, while the non-Newtonian viscosity of blood is represented using a modified Carreau–Yasuda model. The numerical predictions are validated against existing experimental and numerical data. The effect of volumetric flow rate on RBC distribution is found to be limited; therefore, a representative flow rate of 100 μL/min is adopted for the subsequent analysis. The results show that RBC migration and the resulting cell distribution are strongly governed by RBC size and hematocrit. The pressure drop is primarily influenced by hematocrit, while the effect of RBC size is relatively weak. A minimum value for pressure drop is observed at a hematocrit of 0.3, indicating an optimal hematocrit level for minimizing flow resistance. A parabolic correlation is proposed for predicting the pressure drop as a function of hematocrit, with a maximum relative error of 1.13%. This study contributes to the understanding of pathological RBC size variations and their impact on microscale hemodynamics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrodynamics of Micro Blood Vessels)
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