Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Department
Physics and Astronomy
Additional Departmental Affiliation
Mathematics
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
Chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers are the leading cause of non-traumatic amputations in developed countries. For researchers to better understand the physiology of these wounds, a mathematical model describing oxygen levels at the wound site can be used to help predict healing responses. The model utilizes equations that are modified from work by Guffey (2015) that consists of four variables – oxygen, bacteria, neutrophils, and chemoattractant within a system of partial differential equations. Our research focuses on numerically solving these partial differential equations using a finite volume approach. This numerical solver will be important for future research in optimization of treatments; it has the potential to be incorporated into an optimal control model for chronic wounds.
Advisor(s) or Committee Chair
Dr. Richard Schugart
Disciplines
Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment | Medical Biophysics | Partial Differential Equations | Physics
Recommended Citation
Stryker, Stefan, "Numerically Solving a System of PDEs Modeling Chronic Wounds Treated with Oxygen Therapy" (2017). Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects. Paper 705.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses/705
Included in
Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons, Medical Biophysics Commons, Partial Differential Equations Commons, Physics Commons