Modeling the Elastic Collision of Nanoparticle with Erytrocite: Viscoelastic Effects on Angular Dispersion

Abstract

Abstract To achieve effective drug administration and minimize toxicity, it is crucial to predict the movement and trajectory of nanoparticles, or other nanodevices, when they interact with blood components. In this study, a dispersion model was developed for the interaction between a nanoparticle (NP) and a red blood cell (RBC) considering an elastic collision, assuming that RBCs are the main scattering center in drug delivery through the bloodstream. To analyze the model, the viscoelastic characteristics of the RBC membrane were highlighted, which allowed for the study of interaction in the collision interval through classical molecular dynamics. The kinetic and energetic behavior of the interaction was described, taking into account the drag force exerted by the RBC surface on the nanoparticle and the viscoelastic force that causes a non-linear displacement of the nanoparticle. Additionally, an analytical model based on the trajectory vectors before and after collision, associated with the position and velocity vectors of the nanoparticle, was proposed. This allowed for obtaining the angular dispersion profiles and quantifying the differential effective collision section between the particle and the RBC. The results showed that dispersion depends on the biconcave and symmetrical geometry of the RBC, as well as the velocity and direction of the nanoparticle movement.