Learning Forum

[Mhubris]

I'm completely new with Ansys software. However i've to simulate if there is any relation between capacitance and pressure applied to the skin. So i would be very grateful if anyone could give me some tips. For example, which anysys is the best to solve this problem, if there is any library for human body simultations, and other questions that you think to be useful to me. 

Best Regards   

[peteroznewman]

If you provide more information about the physics of skin capacitance, then maybe you will get some tips on how ANSYS could model the physics.

[Mhubris]

Peter, first of all thank you for your reply.Unfortunately I'm not understanding what you mean with phisics of skin capacitance. Can you tell me what you mean?

Best Regards

[Rob]

Please can you tell us what you're doing in simple terms: I doubt any of us know much about skin capacitance so need a better explanation. From there we'll (hopefully) be able to advise.

Please don't link to copyright materials or add attachments: we'll remove the former and ANSYS staff aren't permitted to download the latter. 

[peteroznewman]

You need to tell us what you know about skin. How thick is the outer layer, what are its electrical and mechanical properties, how thick is the next layer, what are its electrical and mechanical properties.  Define for us what you mean by capacitance. How is capacitance measured? Why do you want to measure it? What characteristic of the skin changes when pressure is applied?  For example, there are capillaries under the skin. They empty of fluid when pressure is applied (I think). You need to tell us what you know and what you want to simulate.

[Mhubris]

Peter, thank you again for your reply. I'll try to resume what I’m trying to reach. 

The outer layer of skin, epidermis, has around 150 micrometers. Furthermore, skin has another layer, the internal one, named dermis, which has a thickness of 1.7mm. When we apply presure for a long periods of time the capilars can’t drive nutrients to the skin cells, which results in their dead. When a cell is alive her membrane can be moduled as a capacitor because they are like barriers to the charge flow and consequently they mantain a potencial difference between intra and external celular medium. So there are both a capacitance and resistance related with external fluid flow that can be easly related with impedance that can be measured at the surface of our tissue. If the cells die, the impedance changes, because membranes loses its integrity. It would be amazing if i could simulate that!

Best regards,

[peteroznewman]

ANSYS has coupled-field elements that could be useful for the model you want. Read this blog post.

Regards,
Peter