Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 June 2011
Blood clotting system (BCS) modelling is an important issue with a plenty of applications in medicine and biophysics. The BCS main function is to form a localized clot at the site of injury preventing blood loss. Mutual influence of fibrin clot consisting mainly of fibrin polymer gel and blood flow is an important factor for BCS to function properly. The process of fibrin polymer mesh formation has not adequately been described by current mathematical models. That is why it is not possible to define the borders of growing clot and model its interaction with a blood flow. This paper main goal is to propose physically well-founded mathematical model of fibrin polymerization and gelation. The proposed model defines the total length of fibrin polymer fibers in the unit volume, determines a position of the border between gel and liquid and allows to evaluate the permeability of growing gel. Without significant structural changes the proposed model could be modified to include the blood shear rate influence on the fibrin polymerization and gelation.