Investigation of Dynamic Operation of Lymphatic Valve via Computational Modeling

The lymphatic system is vital to the circulatory and immune systems with important functions such as transport of interstitial fluid, fatty acid, and immune cells. However, the lymphatic system, especially the influence of lymphatic valve and vessel to the lymphatic dysfunction, is not well understood. We present a fully-coupled fluid-solid, three-dimensional computational model to investigate lymphatic vessel and valve parameters and their effects on the lymphatic system performance. The simulations evaluate lymphatic system effectiveness under varied valve geometries and material properties, pinpointing to the optimal valve parameters maximizing pumping performance. Analysis of the valve function under dynamic loading reveals a hysteresis in the valve response consistent with experimental observations. The model is useful in providing insights in the relationship between lymphatic pathologies like valve defect and lymphatic dysfunction.