Finite Element-Based Analysis of Bio-Heat Transfer in Human Skin Burns and Afterwards

Abstract

This research was conducted to develop the three-dimensional (3D) finite element model of human skin for bio-heat transfer analysis. The skin burn was analyzed using Penne’s bio-heat equation, which has been adopted in many commercial finite element software. Burn injuries mostly occur due to heat transfer from hot object, hot liquids, cooking flames, and sometimes due to exposure to chemicals, electricity, and ionizing radiation. Depending upon the condition and duration of exposing, thermal burn may cause severe skin damage. The burn effect on human skin under the contact with a hot object or hot fluid was analyzed in this paper. The burn intensity in terms of degrees of burn was measured with different burning conditions and their corresponding time was graphically shown. Using the temperature profile obtained from the analysis, various methods of burn treatment were evaluated and compared. The results from this analysis will help to understand human skin burn under different burning conditions and treatment of different burn injuries.