Boris G Vainer 2005 Phys. Med. Biol. 50 R63 doi:10.1088/0031-9155/50/23/R01
Boris G Vainer
Show affiliationsThis review gives an overview of focal plane array (FPA)-based infrared (IR) thermography as a powerful research method in the field of physiology and medicine. Comparison of the gained results with the data previously obtained by other authors with other research tools is given. Outer thermoregulatory manifestations displayed by the human organism subjected to whole-body heating (sauna bath) and physical loads (exercise bicycling) are quantitatively analysed. Some details of human body emotional sweating (psycho-physiological effect) are reported. Particular attention is paid to studying active sweat glands as individual objects. All experimental data were obtained with the help of a high-sensitivity (0.03 °C) fast 128 × 128 InAs IR detector-based thermal imaging system operating in the short-wave spectral region (2.5 to 3 µm) and perfectly suiting medical purposes. It is shown that IR thermography makes it possible to overcome limitations inherent to contact measuring means that were traditionally used before in thermal studies. It is also shown that heterogeneous thermograms displayed by organisms with disturbed inner equilibrium can be quantitatively analysed in terms of statistical parameters of related surface-temperature histograms, such as the mean temperature and the standard deviation of temperature (SDT). The increase and the decrease in SDT turned out to be typical of prolonged physical load and subsequent relaxation, and of external whole-body heating, respectively. Explanation of this result based on a hypothesis advanced within the context of the doctrine of human-organism evolution is given. Skin-temperature distribution function accompanying the relaxed organism in normality was found to closely resemble normal-distribution function. Symmetry break down and variation of the shape of this characteristic may serve as an indicator of homeostasis shift and can be used as a quantitative criterion for the latter. A new phenomenon, stable punctate hidrosis, is discovered and described. The term sweatology is introduced to refer to the discussed specific research area in biomedical science.
02.50.Ng Distribution theory and Monte Carlo studies
87.19.Pp Biothermics and thermal processes in biology
07.57.Kp Bolometers; infrared, submillimeter wave, microwave, and radiowave receivers and detectors
Issue 23 (7 December 2005)
Received 21 March 2005, in final form 12 October 2005
Published 24 November 2005
Boris G Vainer 2005 Phys. Med. Biol. 50 R63
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