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A thermodynamic model to predict the thermal response of living beings during pneumoperitoneum procedures.

Vargas JV, Vlassov D, Colman D, Brioschi ML

Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica, Centro Politécnico Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa Postal 19011, Curitiba PR 81531-990, Brazil. jvargas@demec.ufpr.br

In this work, hypothermia associated with pneumoperitoneum procedures is studied. A thermodynamic model is developed to allow for the computational simulation of the thermal body response to pneumoperitoneum procedures, which are required by laparoscopic surgery. The numerical results predict the body temperature decay (or loss of energy) in time when the pneumoperitoneum procedures is conducted in patient. The influence of several operating parameters (e.g. inlet air mass flow rate and temperature) on the resulting hypothermia level is analysed. Therefore, the model allows the identification of parameters that have to be controlled to minimize the loss of energy, and consequently, the hypothermia level due to pneumoperitoneum procedures.

Published 4 April 2005 in J Med Eng Technol, 29(2): 75-81.
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