Numerical simulation of breast cancer cell deformation in a microfluidic constriction

In this paper, deformation of a breast cancer cell (MCF-7) through a microfluidic constriction modeled as a single droplet. Microfluidic constriction is being used for characterizing normal and cancer cell based on their mechanical response to external forces due to the contraction. Two-phase level-set method used for tracking the interface of the droplet. Droplet distance to the first contact point with microchannel is validated with an experimental result in literature. Influence of changing contraction width (CW) and contraction angle (CA) on the entry time of the cell into the constriction studied in detail. The obtained results can help researchers on understanding capillary blockage, beside of cell mechanobiology.