Final year project:
Protein deformation in the CorWave cardiac pump
The von Willebrand factor is a large blood protein which plays an essential role in coagulation. It is characterised by its shear-sensing property, stretching in the presence of fluid forces and exposing platelet binding sites. High shear rates, caused by blood-contacting devices or obstructive cardiovascular diseases, can therefore increase the breakdown rate the von Willebrand factor and inhibit coagulation.
During my final year project at the University of Bath, I explored the possibility of using OpenFOAM with the rheoTool toolbox to model the shear-dependent stretching of the von Willebrand factor. This model would then be used for the analysis and design of low-shear blood-contacting devices, such as the CorWave left ventricular assist device. A CFD model was developed to numerically reproduce a shear-elongation study of the von Willebrand factor, and develop a bead-spring protein model matching the reported measurements. The characteristic behaviour of the protein was reproduced, showing shear-dependent stretching and relaxation of the proteins.
The project poster and report can be found below.
Final year project poster.
Report