Theory to evaluate the thermal comfort of human body based on neuron electric response

This study proposed a novel theoretical strategy and criterion for evaluation of physiological thermal comfort of human bodies through the self-sustained oscillation of action potentials in neuron. The well-known Hodgkin-Huxley equations were introduced to characterize the nerve excitation, while the transient temperature for the neurons underneath the skin is obtained by solving the classical Pennes bioheat equation. Parametric studies on the effects of surrounding air temperature, heat convection coefficient, blood perfusion and thermal conductivity of tissues etc. to the neuron electric response were carried out. It was indicated that the frequency of an action potential firing will change evidently when the temperature varies only 0.1°C and this general feature can be correlated with many surrounding and individual thermal parameters to quantify the human thermal comfort.