Effects of Heat on Silicone Breast Implants: In Situ and Modeling Analysis
Source abstract
Abstract
Women with silicone-gel breast implants may be at risk of burns on reconstructed tissue due to inadequate blood flow and heat transfer after mastectomy. This study employed thermal imaging and numerical simulations to examine the impact of external heat on silicone breast implants. By applying infrared radiation across three spectrum ranges, detailed thermal maps were created and analyzed with MATLAB software (Mathworks, Natick, MA, USA) version release 2020b. Implants were heated to simulate body and external conditions, enabling thermal imaging to assess temperature distribution. The Finite Element Method was utilized for heat transfer simulations. Our results indicated deeper thermal penetration in the implanted breast model compared to a standard model. This study highlights thermal imaging as a reliable, non-invasive method to evaluate implant responses to heat and suggests strategies to reduce heat-related injuries in patients with breast reconstruction. This method has the potential for comfortable and safe home monitoring of patients using handheld thermal imaging cameras that are now available as attachments for smartphones.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Infrared Thermography in Medicine · Breast Implant and Reconstruction · Body Contouring and Surgery
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
School of Electrical Engineering, Afeka Tel-Aviv Academic College of Engineering, Tel-Aviv 6910717, Israel
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Affiliated with the School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 52621, Israel
Talpiot Leadership Program, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan 52621, Israel
Institute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, WA 6160, Australia
School of Medical Engineering, Afeka Tel-Aviv Academic College of Engineering, Tel-Aviv 6910717, Israel
School of Mechanical Engineering, Afeka Tel-Aviv Academic College of Engineering, Tel-Aviv 6910717, Israel
School of Nursing, Paramedicine and Healthcare Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW 2795, Australia
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences, CQUniversity, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
Townsville University Hospital, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
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