Dynamic Vascular Imaging Using Active Breast Thermography

Abstract

Mammography is considered the gold standard for breast cancer screening and diagnostic imaging; however, there is an unmet clinical need for complementary methods to detect lesions not characterized by mammography. Far-infrared ‘thermogram’ breast imaging can map the skin temperature, and signal inversion with components analysis can be used to identify the mechanisms of thermal image generation of the vasculature using dynamic thermal data. This work focuses on using dynamic infrared breast imaging to identify the thermal response of the stationary vascular system and the physiologic vascular response to a temperature stimulus affected by vasomodulation. The recorded data are analyzed by converting the diffusive heat propagation into a virtual wave and identifying the reflection using component analysis. Clear images of passive thermal reflection and thermal response to vasomodulation were obtained. In our limited data, the magnitude of vasoconstriction appears to depend on the presence of cancer. The authors propose future studies with supporting diagnostic and clinical data that may provide validation of the proposed paradigm.

Comparative Analysis of Cooling Methods for Dynamic Infrared Thermography (DIRT)-Based Skin Cancer Diagnosis

“…The application of active thermography in the identification of various types of cancers holds significant clinical importance. Ongoing research endeavors are directed toward utilizing infrared thermography for the detection of deep-seated cancers, such as breast cancer [59,60]. Additionally, in breast cancer detection studies, skin phantoms find valuable utility [61].…”

A Review of Techniques and Bio-Heat Transfer Models Supporting Infrared Thermal Imaging for Diagnosis of Malignancy

“…Recently, in an attempt to isolate the blood vessels from breast thermograms to detect deeper, static heat sources (lesions), Gershenson and Gershenson [22] recognized the thermal images of the vasoconstriction of the veins due to the application of a cold stimulus. They applied the virtual wave transform technique, which is usually used in the thermal non-destructive testing field.…”