SUMMARY

This proposal aims to study the conformation behaviors of vWF as it interacts with local high shear and extension regions created by either partial blockage in a pipe or the presence of RBCs. The behavior of vWF in a pipe with a converging/diverging section will be studied first. This will shed some light on the conformational behavior of vWF in a flow made to resemble a partially occluded artery. It will also act as a baseline case from which to understand the following studies. Following this, vWF will placed into a constant shear flow such that it passes between two RBCs. This is expected to create similar flow conditions to the converging/diverging pipe; however, the deformability of RBCs as well as the potential for tank threading may cause unexpected behaviors in the vWF. Then these results will be extended to physiologically relevant hematocrits, in order to determine if results from the previous study are relevant in blood flow. These cases will be brought together in one final study with vWF present physiologically relevant hematocrit flow through a partially occluded pipe. This is designed to study the conformational behavior of vWF in partially occluded artery.