Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2012;18(2):233-43.

The influence of fatigue on muscle temperature.

Bartuzi P, Roman-Liu D, Wiśniewski T.

Source

Central Institute for Labour Protection, National Research Institute, Poland. pabar@ciop.pl

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility of using infrared (IR) thermography for assessing muscle fatigue during low effort. Three tests at constant levels of load 5, 15 and 30% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) lasting 5 min each were performed on a group of 10 men. Temperature and electromyographic (EMG) signal were registered from biceps brachii (BB). Analysis focused on the influence of load on the values and changes in time of muscle temperature. Correlations between temperature and EMG parameters (RMS, MPF and MF) were also analysed. Constant load sustained during the tests resulted in an increase in the temperature of BB. There were statistically significant correlations between temperature and EMG parameters for most subjects. Results of the study suggest that IR thermography can be an alternative or supplementary method for assessing muscle fatigue at low levels of contraction.

PMID:

 

22721541

 

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Application of medical thermography to the diagnosis of Frey's syndrome.

Head Neck. 1997 Mar;19(2):143-7.

Application of medical thermography to the diagnosis of Frey's syndrome.

Isogai N, Kamiishi H.

Source

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Kinki University Hospital, Osaka, Japan.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

In Frey's syndrome, the secretory parasympathetic fibers of the parotid gland are thought to communicate with the sympathetic nerve fibers of sweat glands and blood vessels of the skin following parotidectomy. Miscommunication results in subjective gustatory sweating and facial flushing, which appear early with postoperative mastication. In this study, we compared the efficacy of medical thermography to the Minor's starch-iodine test to determine the presence of gustatory sweating in Frey's syndrome.

METHODS:

Patients were considered to have Frey's syndrome if signs of gustatory sweating and localized skin flushing of the parotid region were present. In four patients who had undergone unilateral parotidectomy, gustatory sweating and facial flushing were present after gustatory stimulation, and the presence of Frey's syndrome was confirmed with Minor's starch test in all patients. Infrared thermography was then performed, and the same area measured. The contralateral side served as an internal control for each patient.

RESULTS:

Before gustatory stimulation, the isothermal pattern of the diseased side and the nonoperative side was similar. Stress thermographyusing a sialogogue (lemon, 3 mL) showed a cold spot at the operative site in all four patients with Frey's syndrome. The contralateral nonoperative side showed normal skin temperature distribution in all patients. Minor's test was positive in all patients.

CONCLUSIONS:

Thermography is a noninvasive, facile test that provides a qualitative visual analysis of the cutaneous capillary response in Frey's syndrome following parotid surgery.

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Thermatomal changes in cervical disc herniations. Zhang HY, Kim YS, Cho YE;
Department of Neurosurgery, Yongdong Severance Hospital, Yonsei College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
hyzhang@unitel.co.kr
Subjective symptoms of a cool or warm sensation in the arm could be shown objectively by using of
thermography with the detection of thermal change in the case of radiculopathy, including cervical disc
herniation (CDH). However, the precise location of each thermal change at CDH has not been
established in humans. This study used digital infrared thermographic imaging (DITI) for 50 controls and
115 CDH patients, analyzed the data statistically with t-test, and defined the areas of thermatomal change
in CDH C3/4, C4/5, C5/6, C6/7 and C7/T1. The temperature of the upper trunk and upper extremities of
the control group ranged from 29.8 degrees C to 32.8 degrees C. The minimal abnormal thermal
difference in the right and left upper extremities ranged from 0.1 degree C to 0.3 degree C in 99%
confidence interval. If delta T was more than 0.1 degree C, the anterior middle shoulder sector was
considered abnormal (p < 0.01). If delta T was more than 0.3 degree C, the medial upper aspect of the
forearm and dorsal aspect of the arm, some areas of the palm and anterior part of the fourth finger, and
their opposite side sectors and all dorsal aspects of fingers were considered abnormal (p < 0.01). Other
areas except those mentioned above were considered abnormal if delta T was more than 0.2 degree C (p
< 0.01). In p < 0.05, thermal change in CDH C3/4 included the posterior upper back and shoulder and the
anterior shoulder. Thermal change in CDH C4/5 included the middle and lateral aspect of the triceps
muscle, proximal radial region, the posterior medial aspect of the forearm and distal lateral forearm.
Thermal change in CDH C5/6 included the anterior aspects of the thenar, thumb and second finger and
the anterior aspects of the radial region and posterior aspects of the pararadial region. Thermal change
in CDH C6/7 included the posterior aspect of the ulnar and palmar region and the anterior aspects of the
ulnar region and some fingers. Thermal change in CDH C7/T1 included the scapula and posterior medial
aspect of the arm and the anterior medial aspect of the arm. The areas of thermal change in each CDH
included wider sensory dermatome and sympathetic dermatome There was a statistically significant
change of temperature in the areas of thermal change in all CDH patients. In conclusion, the areas of
thermal change in CDH can be helpful in diagnosing the level of disc protrusion and in detecting the
symptomatic level in multiple CDH patients.

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The use of thermal infrared imaging to assess the efficacy of a therapeutic exercise program in individuals with diabetes.

Al-Nakhli HH¹, Petrofsky JS, Laymon MS, Arai D, Holland K, Berk LS.

Author information

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Exercise is of great value for individuals with diabetes in helping to control their hemoglobin A1c levels and in increasing their insulin sensitivity. Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a common problem in healthy individuals and in people who have diabetes. People with diabetes are also faced with metabolic and endothelial impairments, which could make DOMS even worse. But because they usually have neuropathies, they may not feel this soreness appropriately, leading to premature return to exercise and causing further injuries.

RESEARCH DESIGN:

One hundred eighteen subjects participated in this study and were divided into four groups. Two groups (healthy and diabetes) performed a series of abdominal exercises, and the other two groups (healthy and diabetes) performed a series of arm exercises to induce DOMS. Skin temperature above the muscle was assessed using a thermal infrared camera, and perceived soreness of the exercised muscle was assessed using a 100-mm visual analog scale. Serum myoglobin concentrations were also measured.

RESULTS:

There was a significant increase in skin temperature 24 h post-exercise for all four exercise groups (P<0.05), where the combined average increase in skin temperature for all four groups was approximately 0.65°C from baseline. Also, 24 h post-exercise, all four groups were significantly sorer than they were at baseline (P<0.05). Serum myoglobin levels were also significantly higher on day 3 compared with day 1 (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION:

Infrared thermal imaging may be a valuable technique of seeing which muscles are sore hours or even days after the exercise is over. Thus, thermal imaging would be an efficient and painless way of looking at DOMS in both healthy individuals and individuals who have diabetes, even if they are facing neurological problems.

Thermal imaging – a hotspot for the future?: A case report

Ronald J Cook, Shobhan Thakore and Neil M Nichol

Accident and Emergency Department, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK

Case report:

A 6-year-old boy presented to accident and emergency with his mother complaining of a painful right elbow following a fall that day. He fell whilst walking up steps and gave a history of directly striking the elbow on the step. He had not been using the arm since. There was a recent history of a comminuted intra-articular fracture of the proximal ulna of the same elbow, and a cast had been removed just 5 weeks previously.

The patient was seen and examined by an experienced A&E senior house officer. He was difficult to assess and was complaining of pain in the entire arm. There was no swelling or deformity and no apparent bony tenderness to the limb. He was unwilling to actively move the elbow joint, however there was a good range of passive movement throughout the arm and good grip strength was noted. An X-ray of the elbow was performed and no bony injury or effusion of the elbow joint was apparent. The child was treated for a soft tissue injury of the elbow, advised regular analgesia and discharged.

The patient represented two days later complaining of persistent pain to the arm. He was now localising pain to the wrist and there was a corresponding area of tenderness over the distal radius. A thermal image was taken of the limb using a hand held FTI Mv thermal imager interfacing with LIPS Mini PC software. The image identified an obvious “hotspot” corresponding to the area of tenderness over the distal radius, which clearly differed from a thermal image of the normal wrist. Subsequent X-ray of the wrist revealed an undisplaced greenstick fracture of the distal radius. The child was treated with a plaster cast, referred to the orthopaedic fracture clinic and made an uneventful recovery.

 http://goo.gl/lfESE

What are the benefits of using Medical Infrared Imaging? 

The procedure is simple, fast, performed in a relaxing manner, and is 100% safe. What separates digital infrared imaging from X-ray, MRI, and other structural imaging methods is its ability to locate infrared markers that may indicate inflammation, circulatory problems, neuropathies, and many other health conditions. The FDA has cleared digital infrared imaging as an adjunctive screening tool to be used with structural imaging methods and other tests to help pinpoint possible problems. 

http://goo.gl/gyZRE

What are the most important specifications when purchasing a thermal imaging camera?

With regard to the imaging camera itself: the absolute detector resolution (ex. 640x480), spatial resolution, sensitivity, frame rate, spectral band and the type of bolometer are good starting points. The quality of the digital imaging software is also of extreme importance. The ideal imaging system provides exceptional image quality while providing ease of use. Please click here for more important information.

http://spectronir.com/index.php/faq#5

What is Medical Thermal Imaging?

http://bit.ly/Sh1UuU

Ann Plast Surg. 2011 Apr;66(4):324-5.
Images in plastic surgery: digital thermographic photography ("thermal imaging") for preoperative perforator mapping.
Chubb D, Rozen WM, Whitaker IS, Ashton MW.
 The Taylor Laboratory, Jack Brockhoff Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Research Unit, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia.
 
Preoperative imaging to identify the location of individual perforators has been shown to improve operative outcomes, and while computed tomographic angiography (CTA) and magnetic resonance angiography are currently the most widely used modalities, these have substantial limitations. Such limitations include the need for intravenous access, the need for iodinated contrast media, radiation exposure with CTA, and long scanning times with magnetic resonance angiography. Complications from the use of contrast media are also noteworthy, and can include anaphylactoid reactions and renal toxicity. In a move to avoid these problems, we have recently introduced a technique that is readily available and easy to implement for preoperative imaging, and may show an accuracy that matches the more advanced imaging modalities. Thermal imaging is a readily performed technique, and can be undertaken by the reconstructive surgeon themselves at the initial consultation, enabling prompt operative planning, and avoiding the need for delays in imaging, confusion in the interpretation of a radiologist report, and the need for an intermediary radiologist altogether. In our experience thus far, the technique matches the accuracy for location of CTA, and a larger clinical trial of the technique is underway. 

http://www.thermology.com/research2010.html

Dent Mater J. 2003 Dec;22(4):436-43.

Application of thermography in dentistry--visualization of temperature distribution on oral tissues.

Komoriyama M, Nomoto R, Tanaka R, Hosoya N, Gomi K, Iino F, Yashima A, Takayama Y, Tsuruta M, Tokiwa H, Kawasaki K, Arai T, Hosoi T, Hirashita A, Hirano S.; Department of Dental Engineering, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, 2-1-3 Tsurumi, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-8501, Japan.

The purpose of this study was to devise and propose appropriate conditions for the photographing of thermal images in the oral cavity and to evaluate which thermography techniques can be applied to dentistry by evaluating the differences in temperature among oral tissues. Thermal images of oral cavities of 20 volunteers in normal oral condition were taken according to the guidelines of the Japanese Society of Thermography, with five added items for oral observation. The use of a mirror made it possible to take thermal images of the posterior portion or palate. Teeth, free gingiva, attached gingiva and alveolar mucosa were identified on thermal images. There were differences in temperature between teeth, free gingiva, attached gingiva and alveolar mucosa. These were nearly in agreement with the anatomical view. Thermography need no longer be restricted to the anterior portion using a mirror, and can now be applied to the dental region.

There are many uses for thermography in a small or large practice including adjunctive breast cancer detection, thyroid abnormality detection, visualizing inflammatory conditions and musculoskeletal conditions.

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Medical thermal imaging emits NO radiation, uses no consumables such as film, and works in synergy with many of today’s common diagnostic procedures.

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Thermography Part 2 – The Procedure

Thermography Part 2 – The Procedure

Infrared thermography in newborns: the first hour after birth.

Gynakol Geburtshilfliche Rundsch 2003;43(1):31-5

Christidis I, Zotter H, Rosegger H, Engele H, Kurz R, Kerbl R. Department of Pediatrics, University of
Graz, Austria.

"OBJECTIVE: It was the aim of this study to investigate the surface temperature in newborns within the
first hour after delivery. Furthermore, the influence of different environmental conditions with regard to
surface temperature was documented. METHODS: Body surface temperature was recorded under
several environmental conditions by use of infrared thermography. 42 newborns, all delivered at term and
with weight appropriate for date, were investigated under controlled conditions. RESULTS: The surface
temperature immediately after birth shows a uniform picture of the whole body; however, it is significantly
lower than the core temperature. Soon after birth, peripheral sites become cooler whereas a constant
temperature is maintained at the trunk. Bathing in warm water again leads to a more even temperature
profile. Radiant heaters and skin-to-skin contact with the mother are both effective methods to prevent
heat loss in neonates. CONCLUSIONS: Infrared thermography is a simple and reliable tool for the
measurement of skin temperature profiles in neonates. Without the need of direct skin contact, it
may be helpful for optimizing environmental conditions at delivery suites and neonatal intensivecare
units."

Ref. S. Karger AG, Basel

Infrared Thermography in newborns 

Re. Breast Thermography

“Infrared imaging, based more on process than structural changes, and requiring neither
contact, compression, radiation nor venous access, provides pertinent and practical
complimentary information to both clinical examination and mammography. Quality
controlled abnormal infrared images heighten our index of suspicion in cases where
clinical or mammographic findings are equivocal or nonspecific and signal the need for
further investigation rather than observation. With the addition of infrared imaging, our
sensitivity of image detection has increased from 83% to 93%.

John Keyserlingk M.D. Ph.D.
Oncological Surgeon
Ville Marie Breast and Oncology Center

Medical Thermal Imaging provides real-time access to hidden diagnostic indicators for a variety of conditions. The Spectron IR high resolution imaging system provides a professional adjunctive diagnostic
and evaluation tool for the integrative health care practitioner.

Spectron IR’s software is unique utilizing an “open” interpretation design that allows the user a choice of any qualified interpretation service. The ideal imaging system provides exceptional image quality while providing ease-of-use.

Spectron IR’s software was developed from the ground up with input from some of the worlds leading experts in clinical thermography. Every aspect of the software was designed from both the
technician’s and doctor’s point of view. This is why Spectron IR’s software is so simple to use-yet powerful enough for the rigid demands of board certified clinical thermologists.

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