Lattice Boltzmann simulation of swelling of an implant for microtia manufactured with IPN hydrogel.

The swelling characteristics of an implant for microtia treatment manufactured with IPN hydrogel was achieved using a three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann model. Dimensionless units of length and mass were employed. Comparisons between computational data and experimental values obtained by an adsorption isotherm test of a hydrogel implant immersed in Ringer's solution at a constant temperature of 310.15 K achieve coefficients of determination between 0.98782 and 0.99669. The results demonstrate that the thickness of the sample has a great impact on the time required to achieve thermodynamic equilibrium. The method presented here is suitable to simulate the swelling of hydrogels of arbitrary geometries.