Sponsored Content by XenicsJul 6 2015
Introduction
Xenics is a Europe-based company specializing in the development and manufacture of next-generation infrared cameras, imagers, and customized imaging systems that range from the LWIR to the visible spectrum. The company has teamed up with the VU University Medical Center (VUmc) of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, for the development of ground-breaking clinical research programs.
Xenics’ thermal camera Gobi-640 (Figure 1) forms the heart of the setup at VUmc for evaluation of non-invasive diagnostics and treatment. One major research project on burn wounds is being carried out in partnership with the Dutch Burn Center based in Beverwijk. VUmc researchers participated at SPIE BIOS expo which was held in San Francisco on February 9, 2015, and presented a review paper on the use of thermal imaging in medicine. Xenics also took part in the expo.
Figure 1. Thermal camera Gobi-640
Diagnostic Tools
Effective diagnostic tools are required to evaluate different degrees of burn wounds with respect to the inflicted tissue damage and their subsequent healing prospects. Such tools help in establishing whether skin transplantation is required to mitigate the chances of scar development.
However, the basis of these kinds of diagnostic and treatment evaluation protocols should be an apparatus that is compact and simple, and also affordable and suitable for a clinical setup. These measures would translate into an easy, consistent and simple statistical analysis and interpretation. In addition, the apparatus should allow medical practitioners to track the healing progress throughout the course of the treatment.
Medical practitioners also stipulate that in order to reduce the burden on patients, burn wound diagnostics must be non-contact, non-invasive and should substitute standard histological examination, biopsy and high-resolution microscopy. The latter is largely restricted for viewing very small areas on the skin.
These issues can be resolved by thermal imaging. Today’s infrared (IR) cameras can be easily used and do not involve any complex cooling and calibration measures.
Xenics’ Gobi-640 thermal camera is redefining the concept of thermal imaging in medicine. The camera was actually developed for complex manufacturing environments and industrial research, but it is now equally suitable for clinical practice and medical studies, thanks to its on-board processing capabilities, compact and low-cost plug-and-play layout, and Xeneth 2.5, a comprehensive software platform for analysis.
Gobi-640: A Versatile Instrument for Observing Physiological Processes
"We feel honored to be a project partner of a distinguished academic institution such as VUmc, in a far reaching clinical research program. This proves that Xenics is at the forefront of IR camera and systems design in terms of usability and versatility, as well as image quality and high reliability." Bob Grietens, Xenics founder and CEO
Rudolf M. Verdaasdonk, PhD, VU professor, and Head of the Department of Physics and Medical Technology at the VU University Medical Center, explained that with superior image and temperature resolutions, thermal cameras have become compact and more practical. Xenics’ Gobi-640 camera is one such versatile system that makes it possible to view burn wounds and other physiological processes. Such observations are primarily based on perfusion, which refers to the streaming of blood from the center of the body via the peripheral vessels and travels towards the injured skin tissue, clearly revealing the presence of an injured or intact microvasculature, based on the measured temperature. Figure 2 shows a normal and thermal image of burn wound captured on the upper leg of a patient (courtesy Dutch Burn Center, Beverwijk NL).
Figure 2. Normal and thermal image of burn wound on the upper leg of a patient.
Dr. Verdaasdonk further added that when thermal cameras are used in clinical practice, image resolution should be the most important factor - spatial resolution must be able to reach 1mm on the skin region. In addition, the temperature resolution must be sufficient to distinguish the slight variations in blood temperature, specific to deep dermal or superficial burn wounds.
Both of these requirements are met by the Gobi-640 thermal camera, thanks to its 640x480 pixel layout and its temperature resolution of 0.05°C.
The clinical research, led by Paul van Zuijlen, a plastic surgeon professor at the Dutch Burn Center, showed that thermography not only facilitates continuous observation of burn wounds, but also enables real-time assessments of those wounds, thereby making it possible to observe improvements during the course of the healing process. For this particular application, the Gobi-640 thermal camera can be integrated with another camera for the visible spectrum, equipped with the same field of view to evaluate both representations of image. The Gobi-640 offers another advantage in the form of a versatile software platform, Xeneth 2.5. The software allows non-stop control of all camera settings, making it possible to optimize the processability and performance of the recorded IR imagery. The Xeneth 2.5 also makes it easy to export data to LabVIEW and other traditional scientific analysis programs for comprehensive analyses.
Conclusion
According to Dr. Verdaasdonk, thermography may offer a better diagnostic option during the early-stage evaluation of burn wounds, and may allow non-invasive diagnostics and treatment assessment of the healing progress over the course of the treatment. He anticipates that in future, all medical practitioners will carry a smartphone device that is integrated with a thermal camera to measure vital signs like heart and respiration rate. This trend may possibly extend to widespread health apps utilized at homes.
About Xenics
Xenics is a leading provider of advanced infrared imagers and cameras,
- based on a strong knowledge background of infrared detector technology,
- achieved via continuous innovation,
- driven by applications and markets, and
- combined with a flexibility towards our customers to find a solution to their specific infrared problem
We offer a complete portfolio of infrared cameras and detectors for the SWIR, MWIR and LWIR ranges.
Xenics designs and markets infrared imagers, cores and cameras of best-in-class image quality to support innovative R&D, industrial automation, machine vision, process control and high-end security applications.
Drawing on advanced production facilities and in-house know-how of system and software development, we deliver state-of-the-art imaging solutions and optimized custom design.
Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments.