Effect of geometry on collagen flow in constricted channels for cell delivery

Cell therapy has been recently proposed as an effective strategy for the treatment of several neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease Natural biomaterials, such as collagen, have been used as scaffolds to facilitate cell deposition, through needle-based delivery. However, despite the protective environment of the scaffold, fluid forces acting on the cells during injection may impact or disrupt their viability [1]. This study aims at developing a novel delivery device for a cell-embedded in situ forming collagen hydrogel. Here, preliminary computational results on constricted channels representing the syringe-needle connection are discussed, providing insight into the effects of the syringe geometry and the needle diameter on collagen flow.