A numerical study on the effect of laser therapy against port-wine stain by administering artificial red blood cells
摘要
Port-wine stain (PWS) is a congenital vascular malformation commonly treated with pulsed dye laser (PDL) therapy. PDL exploits selective photothermolysis, in which hemoglobin in red blood cells (RBCs) absorbs laser energy, generating localized heat that induces endothelial damage. However, in microvessels, axial RBC migration creates a hemoglobin-depleted cell-free layer along the vessel walls, reducing laser efficacy. Hemoglobin vesicles (HbVs)—nano-sized artificial RBCs—distribute uniformly within these layers, offering the potential to enhance hemoglobin distribution and laser absorption. To investigate the impact of HbV administration on PDL therapy, a three-dimensional numerical model of human skin tissue containing vascular networks was developed. Monte Carlo simulations were used to evaluate laser absorption, and thermal conduction analysis was performed to compute temperature distributions and estimate thermal damage via the Arrhenius model. Two conditions were considered: Case