Numerical modelling of thermal effects on biological tissue during laser-material interaction

Among numerous methods of the modelling of laser interaction with the material equivalent of biological tissue (including macroscopic and microscopic cell interaction), the case of pathogenic prostates is chosen to be studied. The principal difference between the inorganic and tissue equivalent material is the term which includes blood flow. Thermal modelling is chosen for interaction mechanisms, i.e. bio-heat equation. It was noticed that the principal problems are in selecting appropriate numerical methods, available mathematical program packages and finding all exact parameters for performing the needed calculations. As principal parameters, among them density, heat conduction, and specific heat, there are many other parameters which depend on the chosen approach (there could be up to 20 parameters, among them coefficient of time scaling, arterial blood temperature, metabolic heat source, etc). The laser type, including its wavelength which defines the quantity of absorbed energy and dynamic of irradiation, presents the term which could be modulated for the chosen problem. In this study, the program Comsol Multiphysics 3.5 is used in the simulation of prostate exposed to Nd³⁺:YAG laser in its fundamental mode. (paper)