Correlation of skin temperature and blood flow oscillations

Interrelation of skin temperature and blood flow oscillations of fingers under normal conditions in healthy subjects has been investigated. Oscillations of a blood flow were measured by means of photoplethysmography; oscillations of a temperature were registered by means of thermal imaging camera. The method of blood flow reconstruction by temperature oscillations with the use of the Pennes bioheat transfer equation and a definition of delay time of a temperature in relation to blood flow signal has been described. Temperature oscillations have a lag in relation to blood flow oscillations of approximately 10-20 seconds. Delay time of temperature waves can be used for the definition of an effective thickness of a tissue layer separating blood vessels and skin surface. Use of the described technique of comparison of finger blood flow and temperature oscillations allows to raise correlation coefficient of the signals from 0.35 to 0.63 on average, which testifies of high degree of conditionality of temperature oscillations by blood flow oscillations. The considered method of non-contact restoration of blood flow oscillations by means of temperature oscillation measurements might find practical application in skin thermal lesions research, research of influence of physical and chemical factors on a skin microcirculation.