Fluid Dynamics in Deformable
Microchannels
M. Kiran Raj and Suman Chakraborty
1 Deformable Microchannels—Motivation
of Hemodynamic Investigation
The human body consists of many systems in which the circulation of fluids comes
to picture. Both liquid and gaseous exchanges form the vital component of life.
Cardiovascular system consists of loops of vessels through which blood flows from
heart to cells and back. With lungs as the driving organ, respiratory system deals with
the exchange of gases that ensures the supply oxygen to the cells. Table 1 provides
a glimpse of the size of the vessels in the human body.
The vessel pressure is extremely important as it indicates the health as measured
by a physician using a sphygmomanometer. The high- and low-pressure conditions
are termed as hypertension and hypotension, respectively. Both can lead to serious
consequences if not detected and dealt within the early stages. Most of these vessels
are made up of convective tissues, consisting of fibrous elastin. Due to the soft and
elastic nature, they can easily deform under the action of fluid flow. From the clinical
perspective, both qualitative and quantitative information about the deformation gives
clues about the severity of the condition. The physicians are trained to examine the
sound signatures from the pulse characteristics in the circulatory system which are
basically the result of the pressure waves traveling through vessels. More deformable
walls can act like stabilizers and absorb the energy to dampen the pressure wave.
However, as the age progresses, the flexibility of the tissues deteriorates and it can
impede the normal functioning of the circulatory system. These arguments point out
M. Kiran Raj
Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo N2L
3G1, Ontario, Canada
S. Chakraborty (B)
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, Kharagpur
721302, India
e-mail: suman@mech.iitkgp.ernet.in
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
U. S. Dixit and S. K. Dwivedy (eds.), Mechanical Sciences,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5712-5_7
145
Microchannels
M. Kiran Raj and Suman Chakraborty
1 Deformable Microchannels—Motivation
of Hemodynamic Investigation
The human body consists of many systems in which the circulation of fluids comes
to picture. Both liquid and gaseous exchanges form the vital component of life.
Cardiovascular system consists of loops of vessels through which blood flows from
heart to cells and back. With lungs as the driving organ, respiratory system deals with
the exchange of gases that ensures the supply oxygen to the cells. Table 1 provides
a glimpse of the size of the vessels in the human body.
The vessel pressure is extremely important as it indicates the health as measured
by a physician using a sphygmomanometer. The high- and low-pressure conditions
are termed as hypertension and hypotension, respectively. Both can lead to serious
consequences if not detected and dealt within the early stages. Most of these vessels
are made up of convective tissues, consisting of fibrous elastin. Due to the soft and
elastic nature, they can easily deform under the action of fluid flow. From the clinical
perspective, both qualitative and quantitative information about the deformation gives
clues about the severity of the condition. The physicians are trained to examine the
sound signatures from the pulse characteristics in the circulatory system which are
basically the result of the pressure waves traveling through vessels. More deformable
walls can act like stabilizers and absorb the energy to dampen the pressure wave.
However, as the age progresses, the flexibility of the tissues deteriorates and it can
impede the normal functioning of the circulatory system. These arguments point out
M. Kiran Raj
Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo N2L
3G1, Ontario, Canada
S. Chakraborty (B)
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, Kharagpur
721302, India
e-mail: suman@mech.iitkgp.ernet.in
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
U. S. Dixit and S. K. Dwivedy (eds.), Mechanical Sciences,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5712-5_7
145