Thermal therapy and evaluation by a precise temperature control device

Moxibustion, one of the thermal therapies used in oriental medicine, has several problems, including the fact that temperature distribution over a treatment region is not uniform, the treatment temperature cannot be controlled, and smoke is emitted. To solve these problems, we developed a precise thermal heat transfer control device and applied it to clinical medicine as a substitute for conventional moxibustion. The abdominal heating controller developed in this study has an effect equal to that of moxibustion and can heat the treatment region of human skin uniformly. The treatment effect of the device was evaluated in a clinical experiment, in which we found that these devices can treat ileus, diarrhea, and related disorders. We sought the optimal temperature for thermal therapy with regard to gender, body mass index, and age. We carried out a numerical simulation of temperature distribution inside a human body when the abdominal region is heated. Temperature distribution of the heated abdominal region was calculated using a 2-D axisymmetric model considering bioheat generation such as blood perfusion and metabolism. The calculation results confirmed that the thermal effect cannot reach the viscera.