Infrared Thermography Imaging: Evaluating surface emissivity and skin thermal response to IR heating

Abstract

Thermography imaging uses naturally emitted infrared radiation from the skin’s surface. Established and evolving medical applications of thermal imaging include inflammatory diseases, complex regional pain syndrome, Raynaud’s phenomenon, fever screening, cancer screening. Temperature distribution on body surface is influenced by a variety of physiological mechanisms and has been proven a reliable indicator of various disorders. The credibility of thermal imaging is subject to the quality assurance and measurement standardization protocols. The purpose of the present study was: a) To experimentally evaluate the emissivity of surfaces behaving in different ways in terms of thermal radiation emissivity, with a thermal camera, as a camera standardisation procedure, and b) To experimentally evaluate the characteristics of skin temperature increase caused by exposure to far infrared radiation. The results indicate a high accuracy of the thermographic method. Temperature increase rate in the anatomical area of the upper limb does not seem to depend on the location of the measurement spot. Absolute temperature values, though, do differ as expected due to different blood perfusion