Coupled thermo-mechanical interaction on a multi-layered skin tissue with temperature-dependent physical properties irradiated by a pulse laser

Abstract

A detailed understanding of the coupled thermo-mechanical interaction on the biological tissue irradiated by a pulse laser is essential for the existed therapeutic methods constructed on the photo-thermal effect, which will contribute to the design, characterization and optimization of strategies for delivering better treatment. The aim of present work is to explore the coupled thermo-mechanical behavior of a multi-layered skin tissue with temperature-dependent physical properties under the pulsed laser irradiation. A layered theoretical model involved variable physical parameters with temperature has been proposed firstly according to the generalized theory of thermo-elasticity with dual-phase lag mechanism. The numerical method based on an explicit finite difference scheme is then employed to predict the temporal and spatial distributions of the temperature, thermal deformation and stresses experienced to a short-pulse laser irradiation. On this basis, the effect of variable thermal and mechanical physical parameters of skin tissue on the coupled thermo-mechanical behavior and relative thermal damage has been evaluated.

Keywords: Bio-thermo-mechanics; Dual-phase lag mechanism; Laser irradiation; Multi-layered tissue; Thermal damage; Variable physical properties.