Computational fluid dynamics in a novel perfusion bioreactor in the presence of tissue engineering scaffold

Bioreactor is an inevitable part of tissue engineering due to its wide use as a way to distribute nutrients within porous scaffold along with providing appropriate physical properties. To better understand the mechanical phenomena inside a bioreactor, computational fluid dynamic (CFD) is considered. The fluid dynamics of the media inside the bioreactor is modeled using the Navier- Stokes equation for incompressible fluids such as water while convection through the scaffold is described by Brinkman's extension of Darcy's law for porous media to examine the nutrient and shear stress distribution. Flow within the reactor determines the orientation of cells within the material.Viscous and Darcy shear stresses are calculated and compared with vital environment for endothelial cells. Our bioreactor is modeled to simulate the optimum condition and flow patterns over scaffold to further culture ECs for in vitro experimentation.