Teletherm infrared, which has produced quality infrared camera systems since 1987, recently introduced its ThermReview image processing software for the company’s IR thermal imaging products. Designed specifically for human and veterinary health care users of their instruments, the software package provides a complete selection of tools to assist with thermology image interpretation and evaluation. It’s important to have efficient analysis of the heat variations and relative temperature values on a thermal image. This helps with the overall diagnostic interpretation and assessment of physiological conditions captured with infrared. The new program advances this operation, significantly.
ThermReview infrared image processing improves upon the basic thermal image display formats. Temperature range, spot temperature values, color bar and image identification tags are handled readily with most infrared cameras. However, with the new features of ThermReview, an individual pixel on the image can be selected for an automatic display of all temperature values that equal that location throughout the image. The user can choose any color to apply to that temperature value. Up to four different such isotherms (isolated thermal regions) can appear simultaneously. This provides an immediate comparison between thermal regions. The temperature differences between these “isothermal” areas are also calculated and displayed with the image. This affords both a quantitative and qualitative look for the viewer that is not achieved by the often flawed ROI (Region of Interest) techniques that have been used in the past. With a simple up and down control button, the selected isotherms can be moved through the overall temperature range for the image. Thermal patterns will change automatically as the user steps through each individual temperature differential (which could be as little as 0.03 degrees Celsius). This procedure enables a detailed look at very discrete thermal regions that might be overlooked, but are of potential importance to the analysis, especially for health evaluations.
Another key milestone with this software from Teletherm includes a user-selected time delay function for scanning a subject. Essentially, an individual can set up the infrared camera to take a personal set of thermal images, without a technician present. There’s a multiple scanning selection that permits up to a thousand images to be automatically captured, at any desired time interval between scans. Each image is automatically recorded and saved in a device independent bitmap format. Later retrieval is handled under a corresponding tool for consecutive image display. Researchers conducting sleep studies or monitoring a neonatal unit in a hospital would find this feature helpful.
Recognizing that the optical perception of color gradations varies between individuals, a provision is made within ThermReview for unlimited palette creation. Industrial infrared software products typically have limited color palette capability. With health applications, it has been shown that thermal patterns of significance can be overlooked with a limited or poor color option for displaying an image, and this can be critical. The physician or technician is now able to select colors that work best with regard to viewing the infrared image over the temperature range. The color bar with individual temperature values, appearing beside the image, will change accordingly to reflect the new palette format. The same image can be observed through an unlimited number of color arrangements, for a viewing experience that can reveal important pattern formations, helpful to interpretation.
An extensive selection of additional image processing functions also includes x/y coordinates for dynamic spot temperature readings, emissivity readings, text annotations, nine image display, and 4x digital enlargement. This a significant release from Teletherm, as it continues the company’s pioneering efforts in the field of infrared thermal image processing.
