Author(s)

K. Shimano & Y. Shimano

Abstract

Obesity can cause diabetes, ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. It is important for obese patients and their doctors to keep recognising changes in the amount of visceral fat on a regular basis. However, at the moment, costly CT scanning with radiation exposure is the only option for detailed information about the amount of fat in the abdomen. In this study, feasibility of a noninvasive fat measurement method with a focus upon low thermal conductivity of fat was examined. Using the boundary element method, the authors conducted 2- dimensional heat transfer analysis in the abdomens of two volunteers. Abdominal cross section models were developed from CT scanning data, and the skin surface temperature was imposed as boundary conditions. The present computational results strongly suggested a close correlation of the amount of visceral fat with the state of heat transfer and the resultant distribution of skin temperature. Although more investigation is required, the present theory proved promising for development of a new system of fat measurement. Keywords: obesity, visceral fat, thermal conductivity, heat transfer analysis.

Keywords

Keywords: obesity, visceral fat, thermal conductivity, heat transfer analysis.