Popel AS. Calculations of oxygen transport by red blood cells and hemoglobin solutions in capillaries. Artif Cells Blood Substit Immobil Biotechnol

A theoretical model is developed to investigate the influence of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) on oxygen transport in capillary-size vessels. A discrete cell model is presented with red blood cells (RBCs) represented in their realistic parachute shape flowing in a single file through a capillary. The model includes the free and Hb-facilitated transport of O2 and Hb–O2 kinetics in the RBC and plasma, diffusion of free O2 in the suspending phase, capillary wall, interstitium and tissue. A cons-tant tissue consumption rate is specified that drives the simul-taneous release of O2 from RBC and plasma as the cells travers