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Computational Modelling of the Bioheat Transfer Process in Human Skin Subjected to Direct Heating and/or Cooling Sources: A Systematic Review

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Abstract

The purpose of this systematic review is to analyze characteristics and methodologies utilized in bioheat transfer models of human skin to provide state-of-the-art knowledge on the topic. This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were searched up to May 30th, 2019 for bioheat transfer models focusing on direct contact between skin and temperature (heat and/or cold) source. Ten studies were included. A 16-item checklist was used to assess their methodological quality. Four studies analyzed healthy skin and six included pathological conditions. All determined skin’s thermal behavior, and studies including pathological conditions also analyzed burn damage. Studies did not present a wide variety of mathematical formulation, emphasizing on modelling equations of well-established models from the literature, such as the Pennes’ bioheat transfer equation, and the Henriques and Moritz model to quantify skin damage. Reporting of modelling characteristics and formulation of the computational models is not standardized and there is shortage of implementation of validation procedures, hindering representative conclusions. The lack of validation procedures led to low methodological quality. However, all studies provided strategies and parameters as starting points for future developments in this research area.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for the support given through the projects POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030498 (FunImp) and UID/EEA/04436/2019.

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for MicroElectroMechanical Systems (CMEMS-UMINHO), University of Minho, Azurém Campus, 4800-058, Guimarães, Portugal

    Mariana Silva, Bruno Freitas, Filipe Silva, Óscar Carvalho & Paulo Flores

  2. Clínica do Dragão, Espregueira-Mendes Sports Centre, FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Porto, Portugal

    Renato Andrade & João Espregueira-Mendes

  3. Dom Henrique Research Centre, Porto, Portugal

    Renato Andrade & João Espregueira-Mendes

  4. Faculty of Sports, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Renato Andrade

  5. ICVS/3B’s-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal

    João Espregueira-Mendes

  6. 3B’s Research Group-Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Minho, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017, Guimarães, Portugal

    João Espregueira-Mendes

  7. School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal

    João Espregueira-Mendes

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  1. Mariana Silva
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  3. Renato Andrade
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Correspondence to Mariana Silva.

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Appendices

Appendix 1

Example of search strategy for the PubMed Database

Search

Search terms

Results

1

Human

18,503,540

2

Skin

769,877

3

“Living tissue”

1510

4

“Soft tissue”

113,367

5

“Biological tissue”

3051

6

2 OR 3 OR 4 OR 5

870,089

7

Heat*

311,438

8

Cold

172,889

9

Ice

33,393

10

Hot

174,764

11

Thermal

183,251

12

Hyperthermia

235,847

13

Hypothermia

44,330

14

Bioheat

552

15

Bio-heat

225

16

7 OR 8 OR 9 OR 10 OR 11 OR 12 OR 13 OR 14 OR 15

978,119

17

Transfer

481,387

18

Flux

74,578

19

Flow

779,107

20

Exchange

307,550

21

17 OR 18 OR 19 OR 20

1,572,361

22

Therapy

9,137,532

23

Cryotherapy

29,655

24

Thermotherapy

37,633

25

22 OR 23 OR 24

9,142,371

26

1 AND 6 AND 16 AND 21 AND 25

1647

Appendix 2

Methodological quality assessment results obtained from the selected studies

First author, year

Question

Score (%)

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q5

Q6

Q7

Q8

Q9

Q10

Q11

Q12

Q13

Q14

Q15

Q16

Anvari (1998)2

2

2

1

2

2

2

1

2

2

2

1

2

2

0

0

2

78.1

Baldwin (2012)3

2

2

2

2

2

2

–

–

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

87.5

Huang (2013)21

2

2

2

2

2

2

1

2

2

2

0

1

2

0

0

2

75.0

Janssen (2005)24

2

2

2

2

2

1

0

1

2

2

1

1

2

0

1

2

71.9

Liu (2012)29

1

2

1

2

1

1

–

1

2

1

1

1

2

2

1

2

65.6

Liu (2012)28

1

2

1

2

2

1

–

1

2

1

1

1

2

2

1

2

68.8

Maruyama (2011)30

2

2

1

2

1

2

1

1

1

1

0

2

2

0

0

2

62.5

Ng (2002)37

2

1

2

0

1

1

–

–

1

2

0

2

2

0

0

2

50.0

Van de Sompel (2009)59

2

2

1

2

2

2

–

–

1

2

0

2

1

0

0

1

56.3

Xu (2010)61

2

2

2

2

2

2

–

–

2

2

2

1

2

2

2

2

84.4

Average

1.8

1.9

1.5

1.8

1.7

1.6

0.6

1.3

1.7

1.7

0.8

1.5

1.9

0.8

0.8

1.9

1.5/70.3

  1. Q1: Are the research objectives clearly stated?, Q2: Is the scientific context clearly explained?, Q3: Is the bioheat transfer model adequately described?, Q4: Are the values of the utilized parameters clearly stated?, Q5: Are the modelling conditions clearly described?, Q6: Is the model for results estimation adequately described?, Q7: Were participant characteristics adequately described?, Q8: Were temperature application, equipment design and set up clearly defined?, Q9: Was the evaluation strategy appropriately justified?, Q10: Were the analytical methods clearly described?, Q11: Was the validation procedure clearly described?, Q12: Were the direct results easily interpretable?, Q13: Were the main outcomes clearly stated and supported by the results?, Q14: Were the limitations of the study clearly described?, Q15: Were key findings supported by other literature?, Q16: Were conclusions drawn from the study clearly stated? (Note that questions assigned with “–“ do not include experimental procedures and/or do not include patients in the study’s experimental setup)

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Silva, M., Freitas, B., Andrade, R. et al. Computational Modelling of the Bioheat Transfer Process in Human Skin Subjected to Direct Heating and/or Cooling Sources: A Systematic Review. Ann Biomed Eng 48, 1616–1639 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-020-02515-y

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