Numerical simulation of effect of convection-diffusion on oxygen transport in microcirculation

The entire process of oxygen transport in microcirculation by developing a 3D porous media model is calculated numerically with coupled solid deformation-fluid seepage-convection and diffusion. The principal novelty of the model is that it takes into account volumetric deformation of both capillary and tissues resulting from capillary fluctuation. How solid deformation, fluid seepage, and convection-diffusion combine to affect oxygen transport is examined quantitatively: (1) Solid deformation is more significant in the middle of capillary, where the maximum value of volumetric deformation reaches about 0.5%. (2) Solid deformation has positive influence on the tissue fluid so that it flows more uniformly and causes oxygen to be transported more uniformly, and eventually impacts oxygen concentration by 0.1%–0.5%. (3) Convection-diffusion coupled deformation and seepage has a maximum (16%) and average (3%) increase in oxygen concentration, compared with pure molecular diffusion. Its more significant role is to allow oxygen to be transported more evenly.