International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics

Volume 120 No. 6 2018, 871-879

ISSN: 1314-3395 (on-line version)
url: http://www.acadpubl.eu/hub/
Special Issue
http://www.acadpubl.eu/hub/

BIOHEAT TRANSFER EQUATION

WITH TRANSIENT HEAT FLUX
CONDITIONS TO SKIN TISSUE AN
ANALYTICAL APPROACH
Sreegowrav K R, Indira R
Department of Mathematics
Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology
Bengaluru, India
Email: indiradiv@gmail.com
Dinesh P A
Department of Mathematics
Ramaiah Institute of Technology
Bengaluru, India
Email: dineshdpa@msrit.edu

June 21, 2018

Abstract
The present study deals with bioheat transfer with ref-
erence to skin tissue. Skin tissue is considered as a thin slab
of length L through which heat transfer occurs. The heat
transfer is governed by Pennes equation. The equation is
analytically solved considering heat flux at the boundaries.
Results are graphically deplicted. The results indicated in-
crease in heat transfer with velocity.

Key Words:Pennes equation; Bioheat transfer; Tran-

sient heat flux;Skin tiusse;Fourier solution;

871
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

1 INTRODUCTION
Skin has three layers namely epidermis, dermis and hypodermis
and is important is thermo regulations. Pennes [2], Abramson [3],
Lemons [4], and Weinbaum [5] have given different bioheat transfer
models for describing thermal behavior in biological tissue. Liu [6]
has introduced a thermal wave model. Non Fourier heat transfer
has been studied by various researchers. Mitra, Kumar, Vedavarz
and Moallemi [7] have conducted different experiments. Xu [8] have
studied non Fourier analysis of bioheat transfer. The studies use
finite difference scheme for solving energy equation in multilayer
tissue. Liu [6] has obtained analytical results. Ahmadikia [1] have
considered analytical study of parabolic and hyperbolic heat trans-
fer equations with constant and transient heat flux conditions.
In the present study an attempt is made to solve modified Pennes
equation analytically assuming transient heat flux and effect of con-
vective transfer.

2 MATHEMATICAL FORMULATION
Skin is modeled as thin layered slab. Heat transfer in axial direction
is studied. The physical configuration is as shown in Fig 1. The
surface x=0 is at a temperature Tb due to presence of capillaries
and at x=L, the temperature is T0 which is temperature of sur-
rounding (Tb > T0 ). Heat from skin gets transferred to surrounding
environment. Modified bioheat equation for the fluid tissue region
is,  
∂T ∂T ∂ 2T
ρc + wb = k 2 − ρb wb cb (T − T0 ) (1)
∂t ∂x ∂x
where ρ is density of skin tissue, c is the specific heat of skin tissue,
k is thermal conductivity, cb is specific heat of blood, ρb is density
of blood, wb is blood perfusion rate. T is skin temperature at any
time, Tb is blood temperature. The boundary conditions are given

872
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

by, 
 ∂T

 k = h(Tb − T ) at x = 0
 ∂x
∂T (2)
 k = h(T − T0 ) at x = L

 ∂x

T (0, x) = T0
To obtain the dimensionless bioheat transfer equation the following
parameters are introduced as
r
∗ w b cb ∗ w b cb T − T0 p
x = x, t = t, θ = kwb cb (3)
K ρc q0
Using these parameters (3) in the equation (1) and for simplicity
neglecting the asterisks (*), we get

∂θ ∂θ ∂ 2θ
+ 2δ = −θ (4)
∂t ∂x ∂x2
The corresponding boundary conditions in dimensionless form are,
∂θ ∂θ
= α − βθ, at x = 0, = βθ, at x = L. (5)
∂x ∂x
where r
Wb h h(Tb − T0 )
2δ = ρc ,β = √ ,α =
Kcb kwb cb q0
The solution of the problem to estimate the bioheat transfer in
the skin tissue system can be obtained by equation (4) with cor-
responding boundary conditions of (5). We assume the solution in
the combination of steady and unsteady or transient solution in the
form:

θ = θsteady + θtransient = θs + θt . (6)

A. Steady state The governing equation for steady state is,
dθs d2 θs
2δ = − θs , (7)
dx dx2
subject to the corresponding boundary conditions are,

 dθs = α − βθs , at x = 0,

dx (8)
 dθ
 s = βθs , at x = L,
dx

873
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

Solving (7) and applying the boundary conditions (8), we get the
solution in the form,

 
B3 α
α − B2
B3 B2 − B1 B4 (δ+√δ2 +1)x B3 α √
e(δ+ δ +1)x ,
2
θs = e +
B1 B3 B2 − B1 B4
(9)
where the constantsB4 = (A2 −β)eA2 L , B3 = (A1 −β)eA2 L , B2 = A2 +β, B1 = A1 +β.
B. Transient State The governing equation for transient state for
the bioheat transfer for this model are given to be,

∂θ ∂θ ∂ 2θ
+ 2δ = − θt , (10)
∂t ∂x ∂x2
subject to the boundary conditions are,

∂θt ∂θt
= −βθt , at x = 0, = −βθt , at x = L, θt (0, x) = 0
∂x ∂x
(11)
In order to find solution for equation (10) which is in terms of and
t, we apply the well known method called method separation of
variables to find the solution for transient state. Here before going
for general way of variable separable we use the simple transforma-
tion (12) so that system reduces a simple PDE.

2 +1)t
θt = W (t, x)eδx−(δ (12)
using equation (12) in (10) the partial differential equation reduces
to the form,

∂w ∂ 2w
= , (13)
∂t ∂x2
the corresponding boundary conditions for the transformation which
reduces to the form of,

 ∂w = −(δ + β)w, at x = 0,

∂x (14)
 ∂w
 = −(δ + β)w, at x = L,
∂x

874
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

Assuming the solution for (13) in the form,

(15)
by substituting equation (15) in equation (13) with the correspond-
ing boundary condition (14) and by solving both T1(t) and X(x)
separately and substituting in equation (15) we get the transient
state solution will be taken in form of,

X    
β+δ 2
w(t, x) = Bn cosλn x − sinλn x e−λn t . (16)
λn

Then finally substitute the steady state solution and transient state
solution in equation (6),
 
B3 α
α − B2 X   
B3 B2 − B1 B4 (δ+√δ2 +1)x B3 α (
√
δ+ δ 2 +1)x β+δ
θ(x, t) = e + e + Bn cosλn x − sin
B1 B3 B2 − B1 B4 λn
(17)
Where the constants which involved in the system are given below,

r
wb h h √ √
2δ = ρc , α = (Tb −T0 ), β = √ , A1 = δ+ δ 2 + 1, A2 = δ− δ 2 + 1,
kcb q0 Kwb cb

p β+δ
B4 = (A2 −β)eA2 L , B3 = (A1−β)eA1 L , B2 = A2 +β, B1 = A1 +β, λ = A11 , β11 =
λn

B1 2 = B11 m2 , B13 = B11 m3

C1 A1 L
2 2
[A1 cosλn L + λn sinλn L] − A1 +
A1 + λn

C2  AL C2  A2 L
2
e 2 [A1 cosλn L + λn sinλn L] − A1 + e [A2 cosλn L + λn sinλn L] − A2
A1 + λ2n A22 2
+ λn
Bn = δL−1
(e ) 1
+ {(cos2λn L − β11 sin2λn L)δeδL + (sin2λn L + cos2λn L)2λn eδL − (2λn β11 + δ)}
δ 2(δ 2 + 4λ2n )

875
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

TABLE I. STANDARD VALUES OF PARAMETERS.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

In the present study heat transfer is studied by solving modified
Pennes equation. Outside temperature is maintained at T0 ≈ 33.60 C,
blood temperature at Tb ≈ 380 C . Flux condition is used at both
the boundaries. The range of values used for different parameters
are taken from Liu [6] and are given in Table I.

Fig 2a and 2b shows plot of θ varying with axial distance and

time. For time t = 0.01, θ decreases from 3.7x10− 3 to 3.45x10− 3
along the length of the skin slab. As blood temperature remains
constant and outside temperature is maintained at T0 the profile
justifies the situation that some heat is transferred to surrounding
from skin. Inner layer is at a higher temperature than outer layer.
At the outer layer temperature increases with time and attains a
constant at about t = 0.04.

Fig 3 shows variation of velocity. As velocity increases the tem-

perature increases indicating that blood regulates the temperature.
Fig 4 shows variation blood perfusion rate. Increase in blood perfu-
sion rare decreases the non dimensional length L. There is a steep
decrease in the temperature due to loss of heat from convection.
Fig 4 shows the effect of heat flux q0 . As q0 increases temperature
increases.

876
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

Fig.2a. Temperature vs. axial direction

forvb = 10, wb = 0.00125, q0 = 5000.

Fig.2b. Temperature vs time for vb = 10, wb = 0.00125, q0 = 5000.

Fig.3. Plot of temperature vs. axial distance forvb = 5, 10.

Fig.4. Plot of temperature vs. distance for

wb = 0.0000125, 0.00125

4 CONCLUSIONS
In the present study, one dimensional heat transfer through skin
tissue modeled as thin slab is considered as one dimensional heat
transfer in skin tissue is studied. The effect of blood velocity, spe-
cific heat and heat flux on temperature is studied and graphically
deplicted. An analytical solution is obtained with less number of
parameters whose values are available.

Acknowledgment
The authors express sincere gratitude to the research center and
department of mathematics of Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Tech-
nology and Ramaiah Institute of Technology for their continuous
support.

877
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

References
[1] H. Ahmadikia, R. Fazlali, A. Moradi, Analytical solution of
the parabolic and hyperbolic heat transfer eqquations with
constant and transient heat flux conditions on skin tissue, In-
ternational Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 2012,
39, pp. 121 130.

[2] H.H. Pennes, Analysis of tissue and arterial blood temperature

in the resting fore arm, Joutnal of Applied Physiology, 1948,1,
pp. 93 122.

[3] D. I. Abramson, Criculation in the Extremities, Academic

press, New york, 1967.

[4] D.E. Lemons, S. Chien, L.I.Grawshaw, S. Weinbaum, L.M. Ji-

jji, Significance of vessel size and type in vascular heat transfer,
American Journal of Physiology, 1987, 253, pp. 128- 135.

[5] S. Weinbaum, L.M. Jiji, D.E. Lemons, Theory and experi-

ment for the effect of vascular microstucture on surface tissue
heat transport part 1: anatomical foundation and model con-
cepualization, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 1984, 4,
pp. 321- 330.

[6] J. Liu, W.Q. Lu, Dual reciprocity boundary element method

for solving thermal wave model of bioheat transfer, Space
Medicine and Medical Engineering, 1997, 6, pp. 391 - 395.

[7] K. Mitra, S. Kumar, A. Vedacarz, M.K. Moallemi, Experimen-

tal evidence of hyperbolic heat conduction in processed meat,
Journal of Jeat Transfer, Transactions of ASME, 1995, 122 (2),
pp. 568 573.

[8] F. Xu, K.A. Seffen, T.J. Lu, Non Fourier analysis of skin bio-
thermomechanics, Inter nattional Journal of Heat amd Mass
Transfer, 2008, 51, pp. 2237 2259.

878
879
880