Non-invasive Muscle Temperature Control during Cooling

S Sipaviciene,A Dumciene

doi:10.5755/j01.eee.19.9.5647

Abstract

The aim of this work was to investigate the possibilities of using the non-invasive method to control the temperature of deep layers in limb tissues during cooling, using thermistors as temperature sensors. The invasive temperature control of the deep tissue layers is not always acceptable to the test subject. The temperature distribution was simulated using computer software, when the limb was cooled in the +15 °C temperature water bath and frozen by adding the ice pack. The temperature was measured experimentally by using thermistor as a temperature sensor. The uncertainty of calibrated temperature transducer was ±0.05 °C. The 3 cm thickness layer of thermal insulation separated the temperature sensor from the cooling agent. After 30 min of cooling the tissue surface temperature at the sensor attachment point was 31.5±0.65 °C. During modeling it was determined, that in case when temperature underneath the sensor was 31.5 °C, then the tissue temperature in 30 mm depth should be 31.9 °C, what corresponds to the temperature values determined by other researchers using invasive measurements under analogous conditions. On the basis of the study results the structure of a hand-held device for control of temperature in deeper muscle layers via measurement of the skin surface temperature was offered. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eee.19.9.5647

Highlights

Oral Thermometry and Tympanic Thermometry methods are used for non-invasive body temperature measurements [1]
Results of measurement using Oral Thermometry method correlate with the results of invasive measurements better than using Tympanic Thermometry method [1]
Sensor–thermistor was used to measure temperature; its housing was protected from the cooling water by 3 cm thick layer of thermal insulation of Thermoflex type, with a thermal conductivity coefficient k = 0.028 (W/m*K)

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Oral Thermometry and Tympanic Thermometry methods are used for non-invasive body temperature measurements [1]. A number of devices are proposed for non-invasive body temperature measurement, in which two temperature sensors, separated by a layer of thermal insulation with a known heat transfer coefficient k, are used. Knowing the empiric human tissue heat transfer coefficient kt and by measuring the temperatures on both sides of the thermal insulation layer it is possible to calculate the body temperature [2]. When cooling muscles or other parts of the body after traumatic injuries, various applications are possible, when ice of temperature 0 °C, frozen gel or other materials are used as a cooling agent [14] When using such cooling, the temperature of deeper layers usually remains unknown and only cooling time is being limited.

MODELING OF THERMAL FIELDS IN MUSCLES

RESULTS

CONCLUSIONS