Healthcare is not only about treating disease and injury; it is also about protection, detection and prevention. In recent years there has been a rapid growth in the medical thermal imaging industry to monitor the sick, elderly, disabled and otherwise at risk person.

The same thermal imaging technology is now used by  veterinarians to detect problems in animals prior to the development of complications and more serious injury.

Thermography is non invasive, non contact equipment that uses the heat from a body to aid in making diagnoses of a number of healthcare conditions. It is completely safe and uses no radiation.

Thermal imaging cameras are able to store many images which can be retrieved for subsequent analysis. They are used in hospitals, medical centres, surgeries and by individual practitioners including physiotherapists. The main categories of current applications are:

• Breast pathology - The use of thermal imaging as a screening tool in the detection of breast cancer has now gained scientific acceptance, and is proving to be a powerful tool in the battle against this and other diseases
• Musculoskeletal problems - Thermal imaging can be used to diagnose a variety of disorders associated with neck, back and limbs
• Circulation problems - Thermal imaging can help in the detection of the presence of deep vein thromboses and other circulatory disorders in the lower limbs

There is a rapidly increasing list of other applications in the medical and dentistry fields, such as the detection of nerve damage, differentiation of headaches, and dental decay.

Infrared technology was also applied as a screening device during the SARs epidemic and is used for monitoring other illnesses which cause elevated temperatures.

Identifying fever carriers

Fever greater than 38 degrees C is a cardinal sign of patients with the severe acute respiratory syndromes (SARS). Irisys systems can accurately measure body temperature as people pass through areas such as airport arrivals gates.

A unit installed at Singapore’s Changi airport was used to check thousands of arrivals during a recent SARS outbreak. Though the device is not a diagnostic tool, it gives immediate warning of anyone arriving into a country, a hospital or any other area who displays signs of fever.

At Changi, all departing passengers, as well as passengers arriving from SARS affected countries, were checked. Thermal scanners enabled temperature checks to be conducted effectively and efficiently, without inconvenience to passengers. There were no hold-ups, no delays and no extra time required to clear airport formalities. At the temperature check stations, nurses were stationed to check on patients who appeared unwell. Those with fever were sent to a local hospital.