Modeling Interface Response in Cellular Adhesion

G. Megali[1], D. Pellicanò[1], M. Cacciola[1], F. Calarco[1], D. De Carlo[1], F. Laganà[1], and F.C. Morabito[1]

[1]DIMET Department, Faculty of Engineering, University “Mediterranea” of Reggio Calabria, Reggio Calabria, Italy
Published in 2009

Constitutive properties of living cells are able to withstand physiological environment as well as mechanical stimuli occurring within and outside the body. We examined fluid flow and Neo-Hookean deformation related to the rolling effect. A mechanical model to describe the cellular adhesion with detachment is here proposed. We developed a finite element analysis, simulating blood cells attached on vessel wall. Restricting the interest on the contact surface and elaborating again the computational results, we developed an equivalent spring model. The simulation notices deformation inhomogeneities (i.e. areas with different concentrations having different deformation values). This important observation should be connected with a specific form of the stored energy deformation. In this case, it loses the standard convexity to show a non-monotone deformation law.

Download