Adaptive control of brain temperature for brain hypothermia treatment using Stolwijk-Hardy model

An automatic thermal control system is proposed for the treatment of cerebral injury and inflammation. The system is based on the reference model adaptive control method. It works adaptively according to the difference between individuals, and chronic change of the patients physiological state, and changes in the environmental conditions. Using the human thermal system of the Stolwijk-Hardy model, the brain temperature is dynamically related to the ambient temperature of the head, trunk, and extremities and their metabolic heat production. The dynamic characteristics of brain temperature under various physical conditions, as examined by simulation experiments, provide improved understanding of clinical brain cooling treatment, which simultaneously give good evidence for the validity of the model. The brain temperature is adaptively controlled in accordance with the appropriate physiological state suggested by various clinical experiences. This kind of adaptive control system is useful for the practical implementation of automatic hypothermia control in seriously injured or inflamed brain.