How to Measure Thermography in Humans

Thermography is a scientific technique used to obtain a thermal image of a person's body. The results can be used to diagnose a variety of medical conditions and to monitor the patient's condition. Because thermography measures only the heat from the patient's body, it is noninvasive and it uses no radiation. Liquid crystal thermography is a relatively inexpensive method for making a thermal image that uses special crystals embedded in a rubber sheet.

Things You'll Need

• Liquid crystal elastic sheet
• Digital camera

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Apply the liquid crystal elastic sheet to the area of interest on the patient's body. Do not hold it in place with your hand, as your body heat will interfere with the resulting thermal image.

• 2

  Remove the liquid crystal elastic sheet. The crystals change their neutral color on contact, in response to the temperature of the body surface with which they make contact.

• 3

  Photograph the liquid crystal sheet to obtain a hard copy of the thermal image. This photograph will be used for diagnostic evaluation.

• 4

  Interpret the image. Areas that are red or orange have a high temperature; regions that are blue or green have a low temperature. Comparing the thermal image with images obtained from other people will allow you to identify regions with abnormal temperatures, which can be an indication of conditions such as cancer or poor blood circulation.