Medical Thermography

Thermography is a form of radiography which enables the portrayal of body-surface temperatures photographically, either in black-and-white or in color. These thermograms or thermomaps are actually topographic reproductions of the infrared radiation which is spontaneously and continuously emitted by human skin in the spectral range between 3 and 20 μm. Black-and-white thermograms record changes over localized metabolic, physiologic, inflammatory or malignant activity in and below the skin surface in halftones of gray. Bright tones correspond with greater emission of heat, and dark tones indicate cool spots. The physician's familiarity with thermographic patterns and with their correct interpretation is proving to be significant to the diagnosis and treatment of many ills. — Various types of thermographs are now in use and others are in the process of development. Because the discipline is new—less than a decade old—it is not yet perfect, but engineering compromises that exist in present equipment are bound to improve with time. The investigation of the infrared spectrum as a corollary of the missile and space programs cannot help but eventuate in more precise, sophisticated, and less expensive devices.

Print ISSN

0361-4573

Published

1967-11

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J13663