Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

Award Date

2024

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department / School

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Stephen Gent

Abstract

Electrical stimulation (ES) therapy promotes the healing of chronic epidermal wounds and suppresses the degeneration of articular cartilage. Despite the success of ES therapy, the underlying mechanisms by which ES promotes tissue repair are largely unknown, preventing the standardization and optimization of treatments. One proposed mechanism involves electro-osmotic flow (EOF), electrically driven water flow generated within close proximity to the cell surface. EOF induces the transport of macromolecules and removes metabolic wastes and inflammatory molecules from these dense tissues through interstitial flow. This dissertation investigates the application of weak electric fields (EFs) to non-excitable cells and the generation of EOF using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Multiphysics models. The overarching goal is to analyze the effectiveness and limitations of EOF to identify essential parameters of treatments. Computational Fluid Dynamics is used to better understand and quantify mechanisms of EOF, in vivo, by studying spatial effects, optimum external applied electric field magnitude, concentration effects, and charge density distributions. The Multiphysics simulations created are used to develop a process for comparing the effects of pressuredriven flow and EOF at cellular levels to predict how they will influence tissue creation. These results are used to study the limitations of extracellular fluid flow by investigating changes in temperature, stresses, concentration gradients, and computational constraints. Using computational flow models allows for better insight into understanding the mechanisms for stimulating EOF and ultimately helps create an optimized treatment plan for patients undergoing electrotherapies for tissue repair.

Publisher

South Dakota State University

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Rights Statement

In Copyright