The fouling and cleaning of venous catheters: A possible optimization of the process using intermittent flushing

The aim of this note is to report experimental results obtained for mass transport under controlled flow conditions in a system where convection and diffusion are coupled with chemical interactions associated to the protein adhesion. The context of the problem is of crucial practical importance in the framework of medical application and is concerned with the maintenance of central venous catheters. Then a phenomenological description is suggested giving a possible description of the process.

► An optimization of the fouling and cleaning of catheter under controlled flow conditions is investigated experimentally.
► Results showed a maximum efficiency of the cleaning in intermittent flow conditions.
► Phenomenological approach is proposed to give a description of the process.