Design and Development of a Computational Tool for a Dialyzer by Using Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) Model.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
• Medical Device Design

Background:

• Reducing hemodialysis cost and duration requires understanding dialyzer design and process variables' effects on solute clearance.
• Current computational models are complex, costly to produce, and often lack membrane mathematical modeling, hindering optimization.
• Existing tools are not user-friendly for medical staff, limiting their application in clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a user-friendly, stand-alone computational tool for dialyzer simulation.
• To address the limitations of existing tools by incorporating membrane mathematical modeling.
• To enable investigation of design and process parameters' impact on solute clearance rates.

Main Methods:

• Developed a computational tool using COMSOL Multiphysics 5.4 and the Finite Element Method.
• Created a stand-alone version using the COMSOL compiler for ease of use.
• Validated the tool by comparing simulated urea and glucose clearance rates with literature data.

Main Results:

• The stand-alone tool simulates solute clearance rates for six toxins and module packing density.
• It allows users to investigate the impact of membrane characteristics and process parameters.
• Simulated clearance rates showed high accuracy, with differences of 0.09-6.35% for urea and 0.22-2.63% for glucose compared to literature.

Conclusions:

• The developed user-friendly computational tool effectively simulates dialyzer performance, including membrane characteristics.
• This tool can aid in optimizing hemodialysis efficiency, potentially reducing costs and treatment duration.
• Further validation and integration into clinical practice are recommended for broader impact.