Single cell fluid dynamics: a VOF model of a red blood cell vs a leukocyte

A Volume of Fluid (VoF) model, a computational approach often used to study two-phase flows, was developed to study the fluid dynamics of a single cell flowing in a confined flow, in particular in a blood capillary. The cell - either a leukocyte or a Red Blood Cell (RBC) - was represented as a fluid droplet, with physical properties derived from literature experimental measurements. The results indicated that the ratio between the cell and the plasma viscosity plays a crucial role on the deformation of the cell, providing results that range from the small to the large deformations. By post processing data from the VoF model, we estimated the fluid shear stresses and forces acting on the cell, parameters hardly available with experimental methods, providing hints on the membrane mechanics.