Thermography in Human Medicine

Infrared camera systems make imaging of body temperature possible

The body temperature is an essential indicator for people’s health, and thus, much attention has been given to its determination. Measuring temperature with thermal camera systems comes with particular advantages for doctors as well for patients. As a non-contact and non-invasive diagnostic procedure, thermography is patient-friendly and does not only provide punctual temperature measurement but gives a detailed image of patients’ body temperature distribution.

Thermography is a flexible and budget-friendly diagnostic method

Since multiple disease patterns can be diagnosed through information on the body´s  temperature distribution, thermography represents a highly flexible procedure which is, in comparison to other processes in medical engineering, budget-friendly. Thermographic diagnoses are often connected with an irritation of the body. Thus, on applying regulation thermography, affected body parts are exposed to a cold stimulus. Healthy body regions and organs balance out this intervention on the body-heat in another way than unhealthy ones. This process is, for instance, typical for the early detection of breast cancer. However, also the correct positioning of an acupuncture needle can be controlled by an infrared camera since heat development might differentiate depending on whether the needle has been placed on the right spot or not.

Thermal resolution of infrared camera systems determines a successful analysis

On applying thermography for medical diagnosis, a question arises in terms of thermal resolution, which is the infrared camera’s ability to detect smallest differences in temperature. Minimal differences in degrees Celsius (hundredth of a degree) can be a crucial factor for a successful diagnosis. InfraTec provides with its VarioCAM ^® high resolution series highest thermal resolutions in the uncooled infrared camera segment. These thermal camera systems can be equipped with close-up lenses in order to analyze smallest body regions in detail. Thus, skin reactions like perspiration or temperature changes of the eyes are observable in an accurate way with the help of an infrared camera.

Using VarioCAM ^® high resolution in medicine

For centuries the body temperature has been a vital indicator helping doctors to diagnose illnesses. Originally he would rely on his experience to sense if a patient had an elevated temperature, but with the invention of the thermometer a quantifiable measurement could be made. Even with the use of a thermometer only an indication of a spot temperature can be obtained. Infrared thermography provides the complete picture, non-invasive temperature measurement of the complete body part.

The "Zentrum für Salutogenese" uses VarioCAM ^® 480 hr head successfully in human medicine