Numerical Simulation in Microvessels for the Design of Drug Carriers with the Immersed Boundary-Lattice Boltzmann Method

This study employs numerical techniques to investigate the motion characteristics of red blood cells (RBCs) and drug carriers (DCs) within microvessels. A coupled model of the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and immersed boundary method (IBM) is proposed to investigate the migration of particles in blood flow. The lattice Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook (LBGK) model is utilized to simulate the flow dynamics of blood. While the IBM is employed to simulate the motion of particles, using a membrane model based on the finite element method. The present model was validated and demonstrated good agreements with previous theoretical and numerical results. Our study mainly examines the impact of the Reynolds number, DC size, and stiffness. Results suggest that these factors would influence particles’ equilibrium regions, motion stability and interactions between RBCs and DCs. Within a certain range, under a higher Reynolds number, the motion of DCs remains stable and DCs can swiftly attain their equilibrium states. DCs with smaller sizes and softer stiffness demonstrate a relatively stable motion state and their interactions with RBCs are weakened. The findings would offer novel perspectives on drug transport mechanisms and the impact of drug release, providing valuable guidance for the design of DCs.