Development of a Lower Leg Mock-up for Thermographic Diagnosis of Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are a widespread disease in the world. This disease develops due to pathological changes in the vascular wall of the venous bed and is accompanied by irreversible changes in the surrounding tissues and systems of the body, and an increase in temperature at the site of inflammation. Infrared thermography is the safest way to diagnose varicose veins. Thermograms of patients with varicose veins of the lower extremities show an increase in temperature values by 3…4 °C in the affected areas. The area of hyperthermia clearly follows the vascular contours. It is also possible to visualize deep main deformed veins with the help of infrared thermography. To expand the use of infrared thermography for varicose vein diagnostics, it is necessary to develop a mock-up for training medical specialists. Artificial material was selected for a mock-up of the lower leg, simulating varicose veins. The selection of the material was carried out based on thermophysical characteristics close to the thermophysical characteristics of muscle biotissue. Mathematical modeling of heat propagation and temperature distribution over the model surface was performed. Various materials were studied as a model. Comparison of thermal images of the surface and thermal profiles for different materials showed that polymethylmethacrylate, anide and polyethylene terephthalate glycol polymers are most suitable for mock-up of a lower leg.