Abstract
In this paper, two topics were presented: In the first topic, we investigated the RBC partitioning properties in a microvascular bifurcation model using both numerical simulation and in vitro experiment. When HbVs were perfused, they compensated for the small RBC flux and facilitated oxygen supply into the lower–flow branch. In addition, HbV perfusion has an effect of reducing oxygen heterogeneity in the capillary network. In the second topic, a microvascular model including the tissue region was constructed to simulate the reaction–diffusion phenomena of oxygenated HBOCs and oxygen. As a result, the presence of a plasma layer affected the oxygen transport in RBCs. In addition to oxygen affinity, the diffusion coefficient that depends on the HBOC size also had a significant impact on oxygen transport to the tissue.
