Influence of Blood Rheology on Hemodialysis Efficiency via Computational Simulation

This work presents a computational study of hemodialysis in cocurrent and counter‐current configurations, integrating non‐Newtonian blood rheology at two cholesterol levels using the modified Horner–Armstrong–Wagner–Beris rheological model calibrated with experimental data. The coupled dimensionless momentum and mass transport equations were solved in COMSOL Multiphysics 6.3 to model creatinine diffusion across a semipermeable membrane. A robust computational methodology was developed to implement the rheological model and ensure numerical stability in simulations characterized by strong nonlinearities. Approximately 400 computational simulations were performed to evaluate creatinine removal under varying operating conditions. Results revealed viscosity‐induced performance differences and established optimal dialysate velocities for each flow configuration, contributing a transferable framework for modeling mass transfer processes involving rheological complex fluids.