Current Trends in the Application of Thermal Imaging in Medical Condition Analysis
Shazia Shaikh1, Nazneen Akhter2, Ramesh Manza3
1Shazia Shaikh, Department of Computer Science, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, (Maharashtra), India.
2Nazneen Akhter, Department of Computer Science, Maulana Azad College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Aurangabad, (Maharashtra), India.
3Ramesh Manza, Dept. of Computer Science, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, (Maharashtra), India.
Manuscript received on 02 June 2019 | Revised Manuscript received on 10 June 2019 | Manuscript published on 30 June 2019 | PP: 2708-2712 | Volume-8 Issue-8, June 2019 | Retrieval Number: F5073048619/19©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Long Wave IR imaging is one of the imaging modalities that have been used to study medical conditions of a human body by means of body surface temperature measurement. The thermal image obtained from a thermal imager can be better described as the heat map of the captured ROI (Region of Interest). These thermal markers could be potential indicators of existing medical condition and can give further insights about the illnesses. While the literature review reports of extensive study of thermal imaging as subordinate tool for disease diagnosis, it cannot be denied that there still is dearth of standard thermal image databases of human body with medical conditions characterized by elevated temperatures in affected body parts which could be a useful research aid. This could be attributed to the highly expensive Thermal Imagers commercially available. Therefore, attempts to design and develop a reliable and cost-effective thermal sensor could be a pragmatic step towards widespread availability of thermal imaging device for use in medical applications. In this Paper, we have attempted to review the research works which has reported application of thermal imaging for medical purposes. We have also summarized the thermal imagers used and the temperature range and resolution of thermal sensors utilized in their reported works.
Keyword: Heat mapping, IR imaging, Medical thermography, Thermal imagers.
Scope of the Article: Image analysis and Processing.