Infrared thermography (IRT), thermal imaging, and thermal video are examples of infrared imaging science. Thermographic cameras usually detect radiation in the long-infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (roughly 9,000–14,000 nanometers or 9–14 µm) and produce images of that radiation, called thermograms. Since infrared radiation is emitted by all objects with a temperature above absolute zero according to the black body radiation law, thermography makes it possible to see one’s environment with or without visible illumination. The amount of radiation emitted by an object increases with temperature; therefore, thermography allows one to see variations in temperature. When viewed through a thermal imaging camera, warm objects stand out well against cooler backgrounds; humans and other warm-blooded animals become easily visible against the environment, day or night. As a result, thermography is particularly useful to the military and other users of surveillance cameras.
Some physiological changes in human beings and other warm-blooded animals can also be monitored with thermal imaging during clinical diagnostics. Thermography is used in allergy detection and veterinary medicine. Some alternative medicine practitioners promote its use for breast screening, despite the FDA warning that “those who opt for this method instead of mammography may miss the chance to detect cancer at its earliest stage”. Government and airport personnel used thermography to detect suspected swine flu cases during the 2009 pandemic.
Applications Of Thermography
- *Condition monitoring
- *Low slope and flat roofing inspections
- *Building diagnostics including building envelope inspections, moisture inspections, and energy losses in buildings
- *Thermal mapping
- *Digital infrared thermal imaging in health care
- *Medical imaging
- *Non-contact thermography, contact thermography and dynamic angiothermography
- *Peripheral vascular disease screening.
- *Neuromusculoskeletal disorders.
- *Extracranial cerebral and facial vascular disease.
- *Thyroid gland abnormalities.
- *Various other neoplastic, metabolic, and inflammatory conditions.
- *Archaeological kite aerial thermography
- *Thermology
- *Veterinary Thermal Imaging
- *Night vision and Targeting
- *UAV Surveillance
- *Stereo vision
- *Research
- *Process control
- *Nondestructive testing
- *Surveillance in security, law enforcement and defence
- *Chemical imaging
- *Volcanology
- *Building