Numerical investigation of a novel method of laser assisted cryopreservation of biological tissue considering non-fourier heat conduction

Abstract

The present article proposes a numerical model for a novel laser assisted cryopreservation through vitrification of biological tissue. A two-dimensional numerical model is developed considering the non-Fourier heat conduction. The Finite Volume Method is used for discretization of the governing differential equation while the Tri-diagonal Matrix Algorithm (TDMA) is used for solving the resulting discretized algebraic equation in order to obtain the temperature distribution inside the tissue domain. The existing enthalpy method is modified considering the thermal relaxation time to capture the freezing front. With the increase in thermal relaxation time value, rate of heat transfer and rise in temperature during laser heating decreases and rate of heat loss during freezing also decreases. This reduces the length up to which vitrification is achieved. So, a proper size of the tissue is to be chosen to achieve the desired freezing rate. This length may vary based on the laser parameters and the thermal relaxation time. However, the validity of the present study may be examined experimentally in real ambient conditions before application in tissue preservation.