An Evaluation of Perfusion in Human Body Thermal Modeling through the Integration of a Porous Media Model for Tissue

Abstract

Historically there has been one primary method for modeling the thermal condition of the human body. This method, referencing the bioheat equation, has been and is used widely across the medical device and human comfort industries. The present work leverages an alternate method to biological tissue modeling by using a porous media approach. In doing so, it provides a more physiologically and anatomically representative alternative to human body thermal modeling to contrast the computationally efficient, but low fidelity bioheat method. The present work shows the feasibility of using this porous media approach for high fidelity tissue modeling, allowing both researchers and designers to have an alternative modeling method to leverage – ensuring that they can choose a method best fit for their need.