Flow through a tumour

• Main Author: Seah, Celeste Pei Lin
• Other Authors: Marcos
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/68732
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Tissues consist of cells resides in an extracellular matrix (ECM) comprising of interstitial fluid. Interstitial flow occurs due to the difference in pressure gradients of hydrostatic and osmotic between the blood, interstitial and lymphatic compartments. It plays a critical role in transporting nutrients and bio-chemical soluble factors in the areas surrounding the tumour. In cancer tumour, interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) is known to be heightened. This results in directional interstitial fluid crossing the ECM into the lymphatic system due to high interstitial pressure gradients at the tumour margin. In this project, the proposed model utilizes a simple tumour shape and fluid flow in tumour’s surrounding tissue is also considered. A computational framework is used to investigate how tumour size, concentration of blood vessels and distribution of vessels within the tumour affects IFP. Governing equations are introduced for different domains. Mass continuity is imposed at every junction within the vascular network. Interstitial flow is modelled as flow through a porous media which is governed by the Darcy’s law while the Starling’s equation is used to describe the coupling effect between the flows through tumour vasculature and within tumour interstitial as a result of the vascular permeability. A numerical procedure is then developed and applied to calculate IFP for different cases of tumours.