Cold Provocation and Active Thermography in Medical Screening
Strzelecki Michał 1, Strąkowska Maria 1, Strąkowski Robert 1, Kaszuba Andrzej 2
1 Institute of Electronics, Lodz University of Technology
Wolczanska 211/215, 90-924 Lodz, Poland,
E-mail: michal.strzelecki@p.lodz.pl, maria.strakowska@dokt.p.lodz.pl, robert.strakowski@p.lodz.pl2 Department of Dermatology, Pediatric Dermatology and Dermatological Oncology Medical University of Lodz, Kniaziewicza 1/5, 91-347 Lodz, Poland
E-mail: andrzej.kaszuba@umed.lodz.pl
Received:
Received: 23 January 2017; accepted: 23 February 2017; published online: 20 March 2017
DOI: 10.12921/cmst.2017.0000007
Abstract:
This paper presents application of active thermography as a tool for supporting diagnosis of selected dermatological diseases. The cold stress method is used to stimulate human skin and to measure its temperature change in time. Image and data processing techniques are applied to calculate response parameters and plot their spatial distributions (maps). The proposed technique was applied to estimate differences between healthy and unhealthy tissue for patients with psoriasis. Another application concerns detection of regions characterized by different vascularization under the skin. Obtained preliminary results are promising. It was demonstrated that the developed method, after further testing, can be a useful tool to improve the standard diagnostic procedures.
Key words:
active thermography, cold stress, temperature response, thermal skin parameter estimation
References:
[1] A.Nowakowski, Analiza technik diagnostycznych i terapeutycznych w celu minimalizacji ryzyka interwencji kardiochirur- gicznych, EXIT, Warszawa, (in Polish), (2008).
[2] T.M. Buzug, S. Schumann, L. Pfaffmann, U. Reinhold, J. Ruhlmann, Functional Infrared Imaging for Skin-Cancer Screening, EMBS Annual International Conference, New York City, USA, Aug 30-Sept 3, 2006.
[3] E. Laaperi, A-L.Laaperi, M. Strąkowska, B. Więcek, P. Przymusiała, Cold provocation improves breast cancer detection with IR thermography – A pilot study, Thermology Interna- tional, ISSN-1560-604X, Volume 22, Number 4 (October), s. 152-156, 2012.
[4] D. K. Harrison, Thermal imaging method and apparatus, Patent EP 0885587 A1, 1998.
[5] M. Strakowska, A. Kaszuba, M. Strzelecki Novel method- ology of medical screening using IR thermography Signal Processing Algorithms, Architectures, Arrangements, and Applications – SPA 2014, Poznan.
[6] M. Strakowska, G. De Mey, B. Wiecek, M. Strzelecki, A Three layer model for the thermal impedance of the human skin: modelling and experimental measurements, Journal of Mechanics in Medicine and Biology. 2015;15(3).
[7] T. Jakubowska, B. Wiecek, M. Wysocki, C. Drews-Peszynski, M. Strzelecki, Classification of breast thermal images using artificial neural networks, Proceedings of Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, San Francisco 2004, pp. 1155-1158.
[8] M. Kaczmarek, A. Nowakowski, Analysis of transient ther- mal processes for improved visualization of breast cancer
using IR imaging. Engineering in Medicine and Biology So- ciety, 2003. Proceedings of the 25th Annual International Conference of the IEEE. 2003;2:1113 – 1116.
[9] L. Weerd, JB. Mercer, S. Weum, Dynamic infrared ther- mography review article, Clinics in Plastic Surgery 38(2), 277-292 (2011).
[10] A. Mariotti, L. DiCarlo, G. Orlando, ML. Corradini, L/Di Donato, P. Pompa, R. Iezzi, AR. Cotroneo, GL. Romani, A. Merla, Scrotal thermoregulatory model and assessment of the impairment of scrotal temperature control in varicocele. Ann. Biomed. Eng. 39(2), 664-73 (2011).
[11] A. Nowakowski, M.Kaczmarek, Active Dynamic Thermography – Problems of implementation in medical diagnostics, Quantitative InfraRed Thermography Journal 8(1), 89-106 (2011).
[12] N. Bouzida, A. Bendada, X. P. Maldague Observation of the human body thermoregulation and extraction of its vein signature using NIR and MWIR imaging, Proc. SPIE 7313, Smart Biomedical and Physiological Sensor Technology VI, April 24, 2009, DOI:10.1117/12.818285.
[13] S. Juric, B. Zalik, An innovative approach to near-infrared spectroscopy using a standard mobile device and its clinical application in the real-time visualization of peripheral veins, BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 2014;14(1), DOI: 10.1186/s12911-014-0100-z.
[14] E.F.J. Ring, K.Ammer, The Technique of Infrared Imaging in Medicine, Thermology International 10(1) (2000).
[15] International Association of Certified Thermographers Standards & Guidelines, http://www.iactthermography.org/stan dards_medical.html.
[16] M. Strąkowska, R. Strąkowski, B. Wiecek, M. Strzelecki Cross-correlation based movement correction method for biomedical dynamic infrared imaging, 11th International Conference on Quantitative InfraRed Thermography, QIRT2012, 11-14 June 2012, Naples-Italy.
[17] C. Audet, J.E. Dennis Jr., Analysis of Generalized Pattern Searches SIAM Journal on Optimization 13(3), 889–903 (2003).
[18] M. Strąkowska, R. Strąkowski, M. Strzelecki,Thermal time-constant imaging in cold-stress screening, Proc. of IEEE SPA 2015, 23-25 September 2015, Poznan, Poland, pp. 62-65.
[19] L. Chrzanowski, J. Drozdz, M. Strzelecki, M. Krzeminska- Pakula, K. Jedrzejewski, J. Kasprzak, Application of neural networks for the analysis of histological and ultrasonic aortic wall appearance – an in-vitro tissue characterization study, Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, vol. 34, 2008, pp. 103–113.
[20] B. Więcek, M. Więcek, R. Strakowski, M. Strzelecki, T. Jakubowska, M. Wysocki, C. Drews-Peszyński. Breast cancer screening based on thermal image classification. Medical infrared imaging. Principles and practices, New York, 2013.
This paper presents application of active thermography as a tool for supporting diagnosis of selected dermatological diseases. The cold stress method is used to stimulate human skin and to measure its temperature change in time. Image and data processing techniques are applied to calculate response parameters and plot their spatial distributions (maps). The proposed technique was applied to estimate differences between healthy and unhealthy tissue for patients with psoriasis. Another application concerns detection of regions characterized by different vascularization under the skin. Obtained preliminary results are promising. It was demonstrated that the developed method, after further testing, can be a useful tool to improve the standard diagnostic procedures.
Key words:
active thermography, cold stress, temperature response, thermal skin parameter estimation
References:
[1] A.Nowakowski, Analiza technik diagnostycznych i terapeutycznych w celu minimalizacji ryzyka interwencji kardiochirur- gicznych, EXIT, Warszawa, (in Polish), (2008).
[2] T.M. Buzug, S. Schumann, L. Pfaffmann, U. Reinhold, J. Ruhlmann, Functional Infrared Imaging for Skin-Cancer Screening, EMBS Annual International Conference, New York City, USA, Aug 30-Sept 3, 2006.
[3] E. Laaperi, A-L.Laaperi, M. Strąkowska, B. Więcek, P. Przymusiała, Cold provocation improves breast cancer detection with IR thermography – A pilot study, Thermology Interna- tional, ISSN-1560-604X, Volume 22, Number 4 (October), s. 152-156, 2012.
[4] D. K. Harrison, Thermal imaging method and apparatus, Patent EP 0885587 A1, 1998.
[5] M. Strakowska, A. Kaszuba, M. Strzelecki Novel method- ology of medical screening using IR thermography Signal Processing Algorithms, Architectures, Arrangements, and Applications – SPA 2014, Poznan.
[6] M. Strakowska, G. De Mey, B. Wiecek, M. Strzelecki, A Three layer model for the thermal impedance of the human skin: modelling and experimental measurements, Journal of Mechanics in Medicine and Biology. 2015;15(3).
[7] T. Jakubowska, B. Wiecek, M. Wysocki, C. Drews-Peszynski, M. Strzelecki, Classification of breast thermal images using artificial neural networks, Proceedings of Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, San Francisco 2004, pp. 1155-1158.
[8] M. Kaczmarek, A. Nowakowski, Analysis of transient ther- mal processes for improved visualization of breast cancer
using IR imaging. Engineering in Medicine and Biology So- ciety, 2003. Proceedings of the 25th Annual International Conference of the IEEE. 2003;2:1113 – 1116.
[9] L. Weerd, JB. Mercer, S. Weum, Dynamic infrared ther- mography review article, Clinics in Plastic Surgery 38(2), 277-292 (2011).
[10] A. Mariotti, L. DiCarlo, G. Orlando, ML. Corradini, L/Di Donato, P. Pompa, R. Iezzi, AR. Cotroneo, GL. Romani, A. Merla, Scrotal thermoregulatory model and assessment of the impairment of scrotal temperature control in varicocele. Ann. Biomed. Eng. 39(2), 664-73 (2011).
[11] A. Nowakowski, M.Kaczmarek, Active Dynamic Thermography – Problems of implementation in medical diagnostics, Quantitative InfraRed Thermography Journal 8(1), 89-106 (2011).
[12] N. Bouzida, A. Bendada, X. P. Maldague Observation of the human body thermoregulation and extraction of its vein signature using NIR and MWIR imaging, Proc. SPIE 7313, Smart Biomedical and Physiological Sensor Technology VI, April 24, 2009, DOI:10.1117/12.818285.
[13] S. Juric, B. Zalik, An innovative approach to near-infrared spectroscopy using a standard mobile device and its clinical application in the real-time visualization of peripheral veins, BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 2014;14(1), DOI: 10.1186/s12911-014-0100-z.
[14] E.F.J. Ring, K.Ammer, The Technique of Infrared Imaging in Medicine, Thermology International 10(1) (2000).
[15] International Association of Certified Thermographers Standards & Guidelines, http://www.iactthermography.org/stan dards_medical.html.
[16] M. Strąkowska, R. Strąkowski, B. Wiecek, M. Strzelecki Cross-correlation based movement correction method for biomedical dynamic infrared imaging, 11th International Conference on Quantitative InfraRed Thermography, QIRT2012, 11-14 June 2012, Naples-Italy.
[17] C. Audet, J.E. Dennis Jr., Analysis of Generalized Pattern Searches SIAM Journal on Optimization 13(3), 889–903 (2003).
[18] M. Strąkowska, R. Strąkowski, M. Strzelecki,Thermal time-constant imaging in cold-stress screening, Proc. of IEEE SPA 2015, 23-25 September 2015, Poznan, Poland, pp. 62-65.
[19] L. Chrzanowski, J. Drozdz, M. Strzelecki, M. Krzeminska- Pakula, K. Jedrzejewski, J. Kasprzak, Application of neural networks for the analysis of histological and ultrasonic aortic wall appearance – an in-vitro tissue characterization study, Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, vol. 34, 2008, pp. 103–113.
[20] B. Więcek, M. Więcek, R. Strakowski, M. Strzelecki, T. Jakubowska, M. Wysocki, C. Drews-Peszyński. Breast cancer screening based on thermal image classification. Medical infrared imaging. Principles and practices, New York, 2013.
