Study of a possible detection of abnormalities under skin tissue by infrared thermography

Abstract

This is a simulation study focusing on the effect of the temperature response of a biological tissue due to the existence of abnormal inclusions under skin or abnormal functionality. The Pennes bioheat transfer equation is used as a biophysical model to describe heat loss and circulatory system contribution to heat transfer in a tissue under skin. The objective of this study is the to obtain the temperature mapping on the skin, in view of the existence of abnormal inclusion or abnormal functionality, and later, see the influence of different parameters such as location, size, conductivity, metabolic generation heat and blood perfusion on the temperature mapping. After the introduction of the mathematical model of bioheat transfer in the skin tissue, we present the discrete grid of the medium and boundary conditions including radiation. Finally, we give numerical results concerning detection of abnormalities under skin tissue. We try to extend the obtained model to handle clinical observations concerning evaluation of patients at high risk for lower extremity peripheral arterial disease..