Numerical study of oxygen uptake by layers of hemoglobin solution

Abstract

Numerical solutions have been obtained for the equations describing O2 uptake by layers of concentrated hemoglobin solution 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.6, 2, 3.6, 5, 10, and 20 [mu] thick. The results indicate that the diffusion of oxyhemoglobin has almost no effect on the rate of oxygenation of the 0.25 [mu] layer, but its influence increases with increasing layer thickness, so that it shortens the time required to reach 50% saturation in the 1.6 [mu] layer by 23 % and in the 5[mu] layer by 34%. For the 1.6 [mu] layer, which might be considered a model red blood cell, the results suggest that the rate at which O2 reacts with hemoglobin is of primary importance early in the uptake process, but that later the diffusion of O2 into the deeper parts of the layer becomes rate-limiting.