An Assessment of the Thermal Clearance Method for Measuring Perfusion

Abstract

The thermal clearance technique is widely used to give information on skin blood flow. Heat is applied at a known rate at the surface of the skin and the consequent temperature rise is measured. This temperature rise depends on the skin blood flow since heat is convected from the heater by the blood, and a high flow rate therefore leads to a smaller temperature rise. Heat is also conducted from the heater, and so the temperature rise also depends on the thermal conductivity of the skin. It is therefore important that the effects of both parameters are considered, and to do this we introduce a mathematical model of the system.