Development and solution of finite-difference equations for burn injury with spreadsheet software

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Computational Modeling

Background:

• Thermal burns pose significant health risks, requiring accurate modeling for effective treatment.
• Existing thermal burn models can be complex and computationally intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a simplified mathematical model for thermal burn processes.
• To demonstrate a practical method for solving these burn equations using accessible software.

Main Methods:

• Development of a set of equations to describe thermal burn progression.
• Conversion of differential equations into a finite-difference format.
• Application of a standard commercial spreadsheet for numerical solution.

Main Results:

• The study provides a computationally feasible approach to modeling thermal burns.
• The finite-difference method integrated with spreadsheet software simplifies analysis.
• A companion article details the results obtainable from this modeling technique.

Conclusions:

• The presented method offers an accessible tool for researchers and clinicians studying thermal burns.
• This approach facilitates the understanding and prediction of burn wound development.
• The availability of a spreadsheet program aids in the practical application of the model.