Thermal Imaging Today and Its Relevance to Diabetes
The association between disease and
The human body is an efficient thermal system.
We are entirely dependent on the ability
temperature is as old as medicine itself.
of the body to self-regulate human body
However, the early physicians had only
temperature. Vital organs are dependent on
primitive means of assessing the presence
regular perfusion of blood carrying oxygen,
of fever in their patients, mostly by using the
th
and our ability to survive in arctic or tropical
natural sense of touch. From the 17 century
conditions is dependent on the adjustments in
onward, thermometers were developed, but
human circulation to the organs of the body,
it was not until the 18th century that Dr. Carl
of which the heart is the central pumping
Wunderlich in Leipzig, Germany, systematically
mechanism.
studied the course of temperature in his
patients and could monitor the
One of the key factors in
progress of fever. He developed the
thermoregulation of the human
clinical thermometer that has been
body is the skin, which is the
used universally in medicine for
dynamic interface between the
One of the
some 200 years. (1)
body and its environment. In
key factors in
excessive heat, the need to lose heat
thermo-
The last half century has brought
is accelerated by sweating, which
regulation of
dramatic changes in the way in
evaporates and cools the skin. In
the human
which the human body can be
body is the
very cold conditions, the peripheral
investigated. In particular, we
skin, which is
blood cooling at the body surface. (3)
now have many different imaging
the dynamic
techniques. Initially, the microscope,
Infrared thermal imaging, unlike
interface
followed by radiology with the use
many other imaging techniques
between the
of X-rays, were the most useful tools
used in medicine, is not an internal
body and its
in medicine. Today, a wider range
imaging system for anatomical
environment.
of different physical energies from
information. The human skin surface
ultrasound to magnetic resonance
is a highly efficient radiator, with an
is available that opens up greater
emissivity of 0.98. A perfect black
Infared
opportunities for diagnostic
body radiator is considered to be at
imaging
imaging.
unity, meaning the ability to absorb
therefore
and radiate are maximal. (4)
provides
Thermal imaging is a technique
information
that uses infrared radiation but is
Infrared imaging therefore provides
on
skin
not widely used in routine medical
information on skin temperature
tempature
diagnostics. First uses were made
distribution. Since the environment
distribution.
in the 1960s, with large and noisy
in which the human body is situated
scanners. These were employed in
will affect this, it is obviously vital
some research studies and applied
that conditions for any examination
using this method must be as neutral
to the noninvasive study of human
(2)
as possible, and standardized. (5)
skin temperature.
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