Thermal Analysis of the Increasing Subcutaneous Fat Thickness Within the Human Skin—A Numerical Study

Abstract

This article reports a numerical study on the thermal response of skin with increasing fat thickness. The study considers the Pennes bioheat model for skin to simulate the thermal recovery phase after the removal of undercooled condition. Based on the surface thermal maps of a three-dimensional skin, the change in fat thickness within the skin is characterized. Sensitivity study reveals that the major variation in the thermal pattern at the skin surface is mainly due to the change in fat thickness. Possible random noise associated with background disturbances is also considered to determine the associated signal-to-noise ratio.