Infrared medical thermography, medical applications, and its basic principles: A review

Abstract

This narrative review aims to summarize in one paper all the known applications of infrared (IR) in medical thermography, medical applications, and the standardization protocols and basic conditions for thermal imaging in diagnostic medicine until December 2023. This technology primarily harnesses naturally emitted IR radiation from the subject's surface. These IR radiations emitted from the human body surface have been used in different fields of medical imaging to diagnose different kinds of diseases, disorders, and congenital anomalies and aid in medical therapy. Thermal imaging is a noninvasive, non-contact diagnostic technique used to measure the temperature of the human body. Therefore, IR thermal imaging has drawn significant attention and interest in recent years in a broad range of commercial applications due to its unique and superior properties. This commercial development has been supported by fundamental and applied research studies.