Human Eye Response to Thermal Disturbances

Abstract

Human eye is one of the most sensitive parts of the body when exposed to a thermal heat flux. Since there is no barrier (such as skin) to protect the eye against the absorption of an external thermal wave, the external flux can readily interact with cornea. The modeling of heat transport through the human eye has been the subject of interest for years, but the application of a porous media model in this field is new. In this study, a comprehensive thermal analysis has been performed on the eye. The iris/sclera section of the eye is modeled as a porous medium. The primary sections of the eye, i.e., cornea, anterior chamber, posterior chamber, iris/sclera, lens, and vitreous are considered in our analysis utilizing a two-dimensional finite element simulation. Four different models are utilized to evaluate the eye thermal response to external and internal disturbances. Results are shown in terms of temperature profiles along the pupillary axis. Effects of extreme ambient conditions, blood temperature, blood convection coefficient, ambient temperature, sclera porosity, and perfusion rate on different regions of the eye are investigated. Furthermore, the role of primary thermal transport mechanisms on the eye subject to different conditions is analyzed.