Mathematical modeling of hemostasis聽
Hemostasis is the process by which a blood clot forms to prevent bleeding聽at a site of injury. The formation time, size, and structure of a blood聽clot聽depends on the local hemodynamics and the nature of the injury. Our聽group has previously developed computational models to study intravascular聽clot聽formation, a process confined to the interior of a single vessel.聽Here we present the first stage of an experimentally-validated,聽computational model of聽extravascular clot formation (hemostasis) in which聽blood through a single vessel initially escapes through a hole in the聽vessel wall and out a separate聽injury channel. This stage of the model聽consists of a system of partial differential equations that describe聽platelet aggregation and hemodynamics,聽solved via the finite element method.聽We also present results from the analogous, in vitro, microfluidic model.聽In both models, formation of a blood clot聽occludes the injury channel and聽stops flow from escaping while blood in the main vessel retains its聽fluidity. We discuss the different biochemical and聽hemodynamic effects on聽clot formation using distinct geometries representing intra- and聽extravascular injuries. If time permits, there will also be a聽discussion of recent聽modeling efforts to explain how blood clots sequester large quantities of聽enzymes by utilizing a bivalent binding mechanism.