M. Kaczmarek

Analysis of transient thermal processes for improved visualization of breast cancer using IR imaging

We discuss limitations of the known methods of IR imaging in diagnostics of breast cancer. In conclusion we show that for practical reasons one requires new approaches because the known methods based on simple observation of external temperature distribution are not fully effective. Even advanced pattern recognition could not help too much for static images. We ask the question: may active dynamic thermography, known in nondestructive testing of materials, be of any help? Analysis of thermal transients forced by external thermal excitation shows even on simple models, that one may expect visible improvement in resolution after such excitation. Applied models allow analysis of both, static as well as active thermograms. Basing on the models one may recognize elements of the internal structure of a breast not visible using static pictures. This new in clinical practice method seems to be promising, but still needs more studies.

Medical Active Thermography - A New Image Reconstruction Method

A new method of image reconstruction for active, pulse thermography is presented. Based on experimental results the thermal model of the observed object is proposed. Studies on thermal transients basing on the FEM object model are presented. Examples of reconstructed images are presented and described for phantoms and for in-vivo measurements. Possible applications are discussed.

Infrared thermography: applications in heart surgery

Infrared thermography has become a way to monitor thermal abnormalities present in number of diseases and physical injuries. It is used as an aid to diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. Results obtained using the last generation of equipment (computer assisted thermographic systems, detectors without liquid nitrogen cooling system) and new techniques as dynamic thermography with independent source of driving radiation shows that it is a reliable tool for medical assessment and diagnosis. Most important--the Infrared Thermography is a non-invasive measurement technique, with non-stress for patients. This paper describes Intraoperative Thermoangiography during coronary bypass surgery.

Investigation of skin burns basing on active thermography

Use of dynamic thermography for assessment of burns is discussed. Animal in-vivo experiments are presented. Sets of burns were inflicted on the backs of eight domestic pigs. Thermographic measurements of burns with different depths of affected tissue (from first to third-degree burns) were correlated with histopathologic analysis of lesions. The results show that dynamic thermography might be applied as a simple, noninvasive and nonstressful tool for patient diagnosis. Further analysis of dynamic pictures gives the first estimate of the depth of a lesion.

Synthetic pictures in thermographic diagnostics

Main advances in terms of the quality of thermal imaging are recently due to digitalization of the data and enhancing of specific features possible in this case. Here we summarize the state of the art of data treatment methods in thermography and development of so called synthetic pictures. The practical significance of using such presentations is shown in phantom experiments and for evaluation of skin injuries but other applications are also studied. This approach may be regarded as the first attempt to open new frontiers of thermal tomography in medical imaging. Knowledge of correlation between synthetic parameters and physiological data is here of the highest importance.

Thermographic and electrical measurements for cardiac surgery inspection

The aim of this paper is to analyze the validity of new methods applicable for cardiac surgery intraoperation inspection. In vivo measurements on pigs using passive and active thermography as well as electroimpedance spectroscopy applied to investigation of the heart tissue properties during open chest cardiac surgery are related. The measurement results clearly show that each of proposed modalities is giving different information valuable for evaluation of the heart muscle biological properties. This information may have very high importance in terms of intra-operation inspection as well as for decisions of proper medical interventions. A series of cardiac operations on anaesthetized pigs involving a controlled heart infarct followed by extensive histopathologic study allowed the authors to make an objective evaluation of the value of the discussed methods.