Numerical Simulation of Laser-Generated Ultrasonic Waves in Human Skin with Different Epidermis Thicknesses

Laser-generated ultrasound is non-contact, broad band, and has multiple propagation modes, and so, has been studied widely in non-destructive testing of structural materials. In this paper, by taking into consideration the fundamental understanding of laser/material interface, and human skin optical properties, the transient temperature distributions in human skin with different thicknesses of the skin layers are simulated using finite element method (FEM). Surface waves received at different places can be used to obtain information about the material properties, such as tissue's elasticity, thickness, etc.