Thermography in biomedicine

摘要

First measurements of body temperatures made Santorio, an Italian physician. He first used a “thermometer” based on Galilei's “thermoscope”. The Stefan-Boltzmann law defines the relation between radiated energy and temperature by stating that the total radiation emitted by an object is directly proportional to the object's area and emissivity and the fourth power of its absolute temperature. In 1868 Wunderlich introduced thermal measurement into clinical routine. In 1956 Lawson used infrared imaging in breast cancer patients and discovered higher skin temperature above cancer spot than of normal tissue. After his achievements thermography started its development and exceeds the experimental state as a diagnostic procedure being used for over 40 years. Once biological basis were established many other areas were opened for biomedical thermography like breast cancer, varicocele, inflammatory diseases, skin abnormalities etc. introduced with different types of studies. The most of them are dealing with breast cancer, and other with ophthalmology; melanoma diagnosis; the complex regional pain syndrome; Raynaud's phenomenon and systemic sclerosis; the diagnosis and monitoring of rheumatoid arthritis; inflammation in the acute diabetic foot and the foot in remission. In all of these areas different approach could be seen: some of researchers are interested in thermography as a treatment tool, and others see its value as a diagnostic tool. However, essential technique - digital infrared imaging and its images - needs improvement in order to provide more useful anatomical information associated with it which will be the best help for doctors. Today thermal imaging has achieved a status of diagnostic instrument or inspection tool providing diversity of applications: from medical thermography to thermal environmental studies, from monitoring and control processes to breast thermography etc.