The effect of hemicylindrical disruptors on the cell free layer thickness in animal blood flows inside microchannels

Abstract Blood-side resistance to oxygen transport in extracorporeal membrane blood oxygenators (MBO) depends on fluid mechanics governing the laminar flow in very narrow channels, particularly the hemodynamics controlling the cell free layer (CFL) built-up at solid/blood interfaces. The CFL thickness constitutes a barrier to oxygen transport from the membrane towards the erythrocytes. Interposing hemicylindrical CFL disruptors in animal blood flows inside rectangular microchannels, surrogate systems of MBO mimicking their hemodynamics, proved to be effective in reducing (ca. 20%) such thickness (desirable for MBO to increase oxygen transport rates to the erythrocytes). The blockage ratio (non-dimensional measure of the disruptor penetration into the flow) increase is also effective in reducing CFL thickness (ca. 10–20%), but at the cost of risking clot formation (undesirable for MBO) for disruptors with penetration lengths larger than their radius, due to large residence times of erythrocytes inside a low-velocity CFL formed at the disruptor/wall edge.