Abstract
The focal plane array infrared technique (thermovision) is a rapid, noncontact, painless, and harmless diagnostic tool for many diseases. In this paper, the use of remote IR radiation detection to obtain infrared human images and perform spatio-temporal measurements of temperature distribution is reviewed in terms of its historical development. Mechanisms of heat production in the human body, methods of control it, and the effects of environment are briefly discussed. Biomedical applications of matrix thermovision are reviewed.