Optimal temperature distribution in a 3D triple-layered skin structure embedded with artery and vein vasculature and induced by electromagnetic radiation (Q878877)

The authors describe a numerical scheme which intends to solve a heat model for a skin model in the presence of electromagnetic radiation. The piece of skin fills in a 3D domain, which also contains vessels (venous and arterial). The authors thus consider a triple-layered domain. A portion of the ``outer'' surface of the skin is exposed to microwaves. The authors introduce a modified Pennes bioheat model which contains a linear heat equation posed in the skin part. The authors write the continuity of heat transfer on the boundary with the blood vessel and interfacial continuity equations on the interfacial layers. The source term of the heat equation is the volumetric heat due to spatial heating and is deduced from Maxwell equations. The numerical scheme consists to use finite differences for the heat equation and for Maxwell equations. The authors then use this numerical scheme in order to determine the amplitude of the electromagnetic field so that an optimal distribution of the temperature is obtained. The authors treat this question as an inverse problem. The last part of the paper describes a numerical example.