Document Type
Dissertation - Open Access
Award Date
2025
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department / School
Mechanical Engineering
First Advisor
Saikat Basu
Abstract
The transport of biofluids in physiological systems plays a critical role in understanding and optimizing therapeutic interventions for diseases such as cancer and respiratory infections. This dissertation focuses on developing and validating a comprehensive computational framework for studying multiphase transport in complex biological environments. The research emphasizes the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulate and analyze plasma perfusion in solid tumors, particle deposition in respiratory airways, and fluid transport in cancer metastasis and bone cancer systems. By addressing the challenges of modeling biological transport phenomena, this work provides valuable insights into therapeutic planning and experimental validation. The study begins with the development of a biomimetic model for tumor perfusion, incorporating electrohydrodynamic (EHD) effects to enhance the realism and accuracy of blood flow simulations. These models simulate the transport of plasma and cellular components through the complex tumor microenvironment, characterized by abnormal vasculature and heterogeneous interstitial flow resistance. Validation is achieved by comparing numerical predictions with experimental data derived from microfluidic tumor spheroids, demonstrating the reliability of the computational approach for predicting perfusion trends and drug delivery outcomes. The research extends to modeling cancer metastasis in bioreactor systems and bone cancer progression, where multiphase CFD simulations provide insights into fluid and particle xxi transport dynamics in diverse biological conditions. These applications highlight the versatility of the computational framework in addressing different aspects of cancer modeling, including metastasis trends and drug delivery pathways. The integration of anatomical accuracy into the models enables clinically relevant predictions that bridge computational simulations with experimental observations. In addition, this dissertation investigates particle deposition and escape in the nasopharyngeal region, focusing on droplet transport under varying flow conditions. Using anatomically accurate airway reconstructions, CFD simulations reveal the influence of particle size, flow rates, and airway geometry on deposition efficiency and escape probabilities. The findings provide a detailed understanding of biofluid transport in the upper respiratory system, with implications for drug delivery and respiratory disease modeling. Overall, this dissertation advances the field of biofluid mechanics by integrating CFD-based modeling with experimental validation to address challenges in cancer research and respiratory diagnostics. The research outcomes contribute to the development of predictive tools for tumor perfusion analysis, metastasis modeling, and particle transport in airways, offering pathways for improved therapeutic interventions and experimental designs.
Publisher
South Dakota State University
Recommended Citation
Akash, Mohammad Mehedi Hasan, "Modeling Fluid Flow in Complex Biological Systems: Implications for Dense Tumor Microenvironments, Metastasis, and Bone Cancer" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1556.
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd2/1556
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