A generic bioheat transfer thermal model for a perfused tissue

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Thermal Biology
• Computational Physiology

Background:

• Accurate prediction of tissue temperatures is crucial for understanding physiological processes and developing thermal therapies.
• Existing bioheat transfer models, like Pennes' model, have limitations in their assumptions regarding heat transfer from vasculature.
• A need exists for a versatile thermal model applicable to various tissues under different thermal conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To derive a generic bioheat transfer model (BHTM) that satisfies energy conservation and models heat transfer without tracking individual vessels.
• To ensure the model's applicability to both unheated and heated vascularized tissues.
• To compare the derived generic BHTM with the established Pennes' BHTM.

Main Methods:

• Derivation of a generic bioheat transfer model (BHTM) based on conservation of thermal energy in a finite, vascularized tissue.
• Simplifying assumptions were made to obtain two linear coupled differential equations.
• The model utilizes tissue volume-averaged temperature and blood volume-averaged temperature as variables.

Main Results:

• A generic bioheat transfer model (BHTM) was successfully derived, fulfilling the specified criteria.
• Comparison with Pennes' bioheat transfer model revealed that its perfusion term represents a local vasculature-dependent heat transfer coefficient.
• The derived model provides a foundation for more specific tissue thermal modeling.

Conclusions:

• The developed generic BHTM offers a robust framework for predicting temperatures in perfused tissues.
• Pennes' model's perfusion term can be reinterpreted as a heat transfer coefficient, enhancing its physical meaning.
• Future work can adapt the generic BHTM for specific tissues using advanced imaging and numerical simulations.