 Medical thermographs are devices which are indispensable in the detection of disease activity
Added: 10/26/2005 |
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Medical thermographs are devices which can be considered as non-invasive equipment. They are aimed at the detection of infrared radiation in order to provide a vivid image fixing the way temperature is difused over the body surface. Two factors influence skin temperature. First is conduction of heat generated in deeper layers of tissue to skin surface. Second one is the skin vasculature state. Fever screening system is the technique designed to fight so dangerous a condition as severe acute respiratory syndrome.
Thermography, in medicine, measurement of body heat emitted by the skin. By the use of film or various viewing medical thermographs that are sensitive to infrared (thermal, or heat) radiation, thermograms, or "maps", can be made of all or part of the body. (Some forms of heat-sensitive liquid crystal can be applied to the skin to provide a direct display.) Variations in skin temperature depend on the number of blood vessels and their nearness to the body surface under observation, among other factors. Abnormal variations can help to indicate a subsurface disorder. For example, an unusually warm spot might overlie a cancer, or a cold spot might be a sign of some bloodstream blockage, such as a thrombus. In technology, thermography refers to both a printing process and a form of copying that was popular before xerography was developed. Thermographic printing involves heating specially treated inks to make the printed letters three-dimensional, thus simulating engraved printing at a much lower cost with the help of medical thermograph.
Medical thermographs may be used for various medicinal purposes. They can assess inflamed joints, evaluate the temperature on the skin surface in Paget's disease and also algodystrophy. One of the most important problems in medicine is the detection of disease activity,
definition of its treatment.
Research has developed on the influence of thermography in the dermal thickness, hyperthermia and the loss of subcutaneous fat. SARS is a dangerous disease which takes a lot of lives of people all over the world and in Asia in particular. Scientists are trying to prevent this deadly virus. In order to fight the virus they designed a special system which they called fever screening system. The system includes a number of leading technologies which is able quickly to identify high fever that is one of SARS symptoms.
The fever screening system works just like a video camera. It employs passive infrared imaging technique taking thermographs of people. Medical thermographs provide a certain color picture of temperatures varying all over the body. It helps to identify areas with high fevers. After that further medical tests are held on the areas with high temperature.
Wave Motion, mechanism by which energy is conveyed from one place to another in waves without the transfer of matter plays important role here, as only the energy moves continuously in one direction.
One of the most important advantages of fever screening system is its rapidity. With its help it is possible to screen large amounts of people at a time. If to compare the effect of the thermometers taking everybody's temperature and the effect of medical thermographs, it is possible to say that the latter provide almost instantaneous procedures of just several seconds. It is also very important that fever screening system is highly safe because there is no direct contact with potentially infected patients. The system can be considered safe both for pregnant women and children because it is radiation-free. It is very important that operating the system is easy. Anyone can start using it without a special training or some complicated instructions to follow. When the system is fully automated all that is necessary to do is just to observe the screen showing body temperatures and defining those where the temperature is high.
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