Temperature (T) is probably the most fundamental parameter in all kinds of science. Respective sensors are widely used in daily life. Besides conventional thermometers, optical sensors are considered to be attractive alternatives for sensing and on-line monitoring of T. This Review article focuses on all kinds of luminescent probes and sensors for measurement of T, and summarizes the recent progress in their design and application formats. The introduction covers the importance of optical probes for T, the origin of their T-dependent spectra, and the various detection modes. This is followed by a survey on (a) molecular probes, (b) nanomaterials, and (c) bulk materials for sensing T. This section will be completed by a discussion of (d) polymeric matrices for immobilizing T-sensitive probes and (e) an overview of the various application formats of T-sensors. The review ends with a discussion on the prospects, challenges, and new directions in the design of optical T-sensitive probes and sensors.

Luminescent probes and sensors for temperature.

Medical applications of infrared thermography: A review.

Life expectancy in most countries has been increasing continually over the several few decades thanks to significant improvements in medicine, public health, as well as personal and environmental hygiene. However, increased life expectancy combined with falling birth rates are expected to engender a large aging demographic in the near future that would impose significant burdens on the socio-economic structure of these countries. Therefore, it is essential to develop cost-effective, easy-to-use systems for the sake of elderly healthcare and well-being. Remote health monitoring, based on non-invasive and wearable sensors, actuators and modern communication and information technologies offers an efficient and cost-effective solution that allows the elderly to continue to live in their comfortable home environment instead of expensive healthcare facilities. These systems will also allow healthcare personnel to monitor important physiological signs of their patients in real time, assess health conditions and provide feedback from distant facilities. In this paper, we have presented and compared several low-cost and non-invasive health and activity monitoring systems that were reported in recent years. A survey on textile-based sensors that can potentially be used in wearable systems is also presented. Finally, compatibility of several communication technologies as well as future perspectives and research challenges in remote monitoring systems will be discussed.

Wearable Sensors for Remote Health Monitoring.

This review describes the features of modern infrared imaging technology and the standardization protocols for thermal imaging in medicine. The technique essentially uses naturally emitted infrared radiation from the skin surface. Recent studies have investigated the influence of equipment and the methods of image recording. The credibility and acceptance of thermal imaging in medicine is subject to critical use of the technology and proper understanding of thermal physiology. Finally, we review established and evolving medical applications for thermal imaging, including inflammatory diseases, complex regional pain syndrome and Raynaud's phenomenon. Recent interest in the potential applications for fever screening is described, and some other areas of medicine where some research papers have included thermal imaging as an assessment modality. In certain applications thermal imaging is shown to provide objective measurement of temperature changes that are clinically significant.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0967-3334/33/3/R33/pdf

Infrared thermal imaging in medicine

Infrared thermography for condition monitoring – A review

(1989). A Digital Video Technique for Radiographs and Monitoring Ulcers. The Journal of Photographic Science: Vol. 37, No. 3-4, pp. 65-67.

A Digital Video Technique for Radiographs and Monitoring Ulcers

INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY: WHAT IS ITS PLACE IN RHEUMATOLOGY IN THE 1990s?

L'absence de methode reconnue permettant la mesure objective et precise des dimensions d'une blessure, constitue un obstacle majeur a l'evaluation des effets des systemes de traitement des blessures. On aborde dans cet article les problemes lies aux determinations des blessures et l'on presente un nouvel instrument base sur le principe d'un codage structurel de la lumiere. On projette avec cet instrument une suite de pinceaux lumineux paralleles sur la surface de la lesion. Les dessins qui en resultent sont observes a l'aide d'une camera-video reliee a un ensemble informatique qui permet d'enregistrer et de traiter les images recues. Connaissant la position du point focal de la camera et celle du projecteur lumineux, on calcule en ordinateur par triangulation un modele numerique de la scene observee. On utilise ensuite cette carte a trois dimensions pour reconstruire par interpolation cubique spline la surface initiale de la peau en bon etat. L'etendue de la zone reconstruite est celle de la blessure et son volume est compris entre ceux correspondant a la surface mesuree et a la surface reconstruite. On obtient egalement dans le calcul la profondeur de la blessure et sa circonference. La precision avec laquelle on mesure le volume d'une blessure avec cet instrument est d'environ 5%, a condition que le rapport du volume a la superficie soit superieur a 4 mm.

A Structured Light System For Measuring Wounds

Serial assessments of disease activity using clinical, laboratory and thermographic indices were made on 20 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) before and after active in-patient exercise classes and two months after discharge. Clinical measurements and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate suggested decreased activity by the time of the final assessment but plasma viscosity and thermography suggested increased activity and levels of C-reactive protein were unchanged. Functional improvements occurred mostly during the in-patient period. A wide range of complement levels was found but did not change, and IgG rheumatoid factor levels were negative throughout. The problems of laboratory assessment in AS are stressed.

Problems in the assessment of disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis

Skin changes such as callosities and mycosis may be regarded as a risk factor for severe structural impairments including ulcers and osteomyelitis in patients suffering from diabetes. Increased temperature of the feet of diabetics is another frequent finding. We investigated the relationship between skin changes and areas of increased skin temperature recorded with an Infrared Scanner AGEMA 870. 76 patients who had type 2 diabetes longer than 5 years, were studied. A physical examination of their feet and nerve conduction tests were performed. Thermal images were taken from both legs in the anterior view, the foot from an anterior view and the soles. 230 sites of high temperature (hot spots) were detected on the thermal images of 75 soles. Toe deformities or deformity of the anterior foot arch, skin callosities, onychomycosis were not related to hot spots on the sole. We confirm that about half of type II diabetes patients present with increased temperatures of their feet. However, no relationship with skin changes and areas of elevated skin temperature could be established. Thermal imaging does not identify the common skin changes found in the feet of diabetics.

E. F. J. Ring

Papers

A Digital Video Technique for Radiographs and Monitoring Ulcers

INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY: WHAT IS ITS PLACE IN RHEUMATOLOGY IN THE 1990s?

A Structured Light System For Measuring Wounds

Problems in the assessment of disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis

Thermal imaging of skin changes on the feet of type II diabetics