THERMAL IMAGING

RAVI SHANKAR SINGH

2017EET2300
Outline :
 What is Thermal Imaging
 How its work
 Thermal Detector uses in Cameras
 Medical Thermography
 Uses of Thermography & its Medical Application
 THERMAL IMAGING
 Also known as infrared Thermography(IRT) or Thermography
 Thermography is a method of measurement of temperature distribution on the
body over a given period of time
 A medical science that performs diagnostics using highly detailed and sensitive
infrared images or thermal images
 Thermal images, or thermograms, are actually visual displays of the amount of
infrared energy emitted, transmitted, and reflected by an object.
 So, Is thermal imaging is similar to Infrared film?
 Infrared Film Vs. Thermography
 IR film is sensitive to infrared (IR) radiation in the
250 to 500 °C (482 to 932 °F) range, while the range
of thermography is approximately −50 to 2,000 °C
(−58 to 3,632 °F)
 IR film use near-infrared while thermography have
far-infrared region
 So, for an IR film to work thermographically, it must
be over 250 °C (482 °F) or be reflecting infrared
radiation from something that is at least that hot
How its work ?
 All objects above the absolute zero temperature (0 K) emit infrared radiation
 Temperature measurement of infrared imaging technology is based on the following Stefan-
Boltzmann law:
E = εσT4
Where, E is the total emission; ε is the emissivity
σ the Stephan- Boltzmann constant; 5.67 x 10 -8 W · m -2 · K -4
T the absolute temperature of the object
 The ability of objects to emit is called emissivity, to absorb radiation is called absorptivity
 Emissivity range from 0 to 1
 An ordinary object emits less infrared radiation than a theoretical black body. The fraction of its
actual emission to the theoretical emission (of the black body) is its emissivity (or emissivity
coefficient).
 The IR camera captures the radiosity of
the target it is viewing
 Radiosity is defined as the infrared
energy coming from the target
modulated by the intervening
atmosphere and consists of
◦ Emitted
◦ Reflected
◦ Transmitted IR energy

 Incident Radiant Power

= Emitted + Transmitted + Reflected
Passive vs. active thermography
 In passive thermography, the features
of interest are naturally at a higher or
lower temperature than the
background.
 In active thermography, an energy
source is required to produce a thermal
contrast between the feature of
interest and the background.
 Segmentation in the spectrum is based on the spectral sensitivity
of the Infrared camera sensors
Shortwave infrared (SWIR) region 0.9µm to 1.7µm
Midwave infrared (MWIR) band spans from 1µm to 5µm.
Longwave infrared region (LWIR) spans from 8µm to 13µm and sometimes 14µm.

 H2O and CO2 molecules tend to attenuate the infrared radiation

significantly in region from 5µm to 8µm
Cameras with micro-bolometer detectors
 Infrared radiation with wavelengths between 7.5–14
μm
 microbolometers do not require cooling
 The microbolometer array is commonly found in two
sizes, 320×240 pixels or less expensive 160×120 pixels.
Current technology has led to the production of
devices with 640×480 or 1024x768 pixels.
 Amorphous Si (a-Si) and Vanadium oxide (V2O5)
 Cameras with Photon based Detectors
 SWIR Cameras – uses Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs)
o non-cooled, thermo-electric cooled (single, double, triple stage) to cryogenically cooled for high-end
scientific grade cameras

 MWIR Cameras – uses Indium Antimonide (InSb)

o exclusively cryogenically cooled.
o capable of detecting temperature changes in the 0.018mK range

 LWIR Cameras – uses Mercury Cadmium Telluride detector (HgCdTe)

o very non-linear, making these cameras difficult to calibrate and work with.
o These type of cameras come into play when a faster integration time and more sensitivity is required
Medical Thermography
 Also known as Digital infrared thermal imaging
(DITI)
 non-invasive clinical imaging procedure that detects
thermal differences within the body
 used in conjunction with other diagnostic tools, for
diagnosis and prognosis
 Thermography is based on ideas:
 As blood flow and metabolism increase, skin
temperature goes up
 Factor Affecting Examination
 Ambient room temperature at which the examination is performed
 Length of time allowed for patient equilibration to the ambient temperature
 Type of equipment utilized
 Type of floor covering
 Usage of deodorants and lotions on the skin
 Medications taken by the patient
 Minor infection in and around the face
 Uses of Thermography
 Condition monitoring  Non-destructive testing
 Digital infrared thermal imaging in  Surveillance in security, law
health care enforcement and defence
 Medical imaging  Chemical imaging
 Archaeological kite aerial  Volcanology
thermography
 Veterinary Thermal Imaging
 Night vision and Targeting
 UAV Surveillance
 Medical Application
 Dentistry
 Neurology
 Orthopedics
 Occupational medicine
 Pain management
 Vascular medicine/cardiology
 Veterinary medicine
 Breast oncology
 Dynamic angiothermography
 Peripheral vascular disease screening
 Neuromusculoskeletal disorders
 Extracranial cerebral and facial
vascular disease
 Thyroid gland abnormalities
 Various other neoplastic, metabolic,
and inflammatory conditions.
 Breast oncology
 Thermography is based on two ideas:
o Because cancer cells are growing and multiplying very fast, blood flow and metabolism are higher in a
cancer tumor.
o As blood flow and metabolism increase, skin temperature goes up.

 The idea behind this test is that, as cancer cells multiply, they need more oxygen-rich blood to
grow. When blood flow to the tumor increases, the temperature around it rises.
 One advantage is that thermography doesn’t give off radiation like mammography, which uses
low-dose X-rays to take pictures from inside the breasts. However, thermography isn’t as
effective as mammography at detecting breast cancer.
 Is it an alternative to a mammogram?
 In 1970s, a study called the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project found that
thermography was far less sensitive than mammography at picking up cancer, and interest
in it waned.
 Thermography isn’t considered an alternative to mammography. it isn’t very sensitive at
picking up breast cancer.
 high false-positive rate, In a 1990 study of more than 10,000 women, almost 72 percent of
those who developed breast cancer had had a normal thermogram result.
 One problem with this test is that it has trouble distinguishing the causes of increased
heat. Although areas of warmth in the breast can signal breast cancer, they can also
indicate noncancerous diseases such as mastitis.
 Mammography still the most effective method for diagnosing breast cancer early.
 Dentistry

Orofacial pain Labialis infection

Inflamed pulp Temporomandibular joint disorder

 Veterinary thermal Imaging

Companion Animal Agility, Working & Racing

Equine Thermography
Thermography Dog Thermography
Thank You
 REFERENCES
http://movitherm.com/knowledgebase/thermal-infrared-imaging-explained/
https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/thermography
https://www.healthline.com/health/breast-cancer/thermography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermography
https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm257499.htm
http://www.veterinary-thermal-imaging.com/our-services
http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/123456789/24989/1/IJFTR%2038%284%29%20427-437.pdf
http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jdms/papers/vol1-issue1/J0113943.pdf