What Computerized Thermal Imaging Means To YouIn today’s world, the increased level of technology has led to advances beyond our greatest hopes and wildest imaginations. Now, a revolutionary technology might just change the way we look at things – most especially women’s health. In the fight against breast cancer, a process known as thermography has been instrumental in helping detect abnormalities in breast tissue. There has been criticism of this method as not being as effective as it could be. Today, a creative new wrinkle has been added to this process. Computerized thermal imaging is being tested to see what effect it can bring to detecting breast issues. CTI involves using heat-sensitive cameras to get an image digitally created of the body. Although the advances sound intriguing, this technology is only in the clinical trials stage at this point, and has yet to be approved by the FDA. But what, really, is thermal imaging itself?? To get a look at the computerized version, we’ve got to trace the origins and workings of the root process. Thermography is the ability to be viewing the radiation emanating from objects – captured by infrared cameras that are tuned beyond normal camera frequencies in order to pick up this radiation. Heat sensitivity is certainly a part of our body chemistry, as well – and in 1982, the FDA approved the practice of thermography to work in concert with mammograms when attempting to detect breast cancer. The thing is that the medical community has had a hard time accepting thermography as a good tool with which to detect breast cancer.
The general benefits of thermal imaging are plentiful. It has been used as a viewer by firefighters searching for fire victims in the midst of smoke, technicians have used it in viewing joints in power lines to detect overheating…and the list goes on. Quantum detectors are also used in a line scanner, a device you might see used on an aircraft. The files created through thermal imaging can be computerized, scanned, and printed out. You can save or edit any files you may have or place them in an album.
So will computerized thermal imaging become the new wave in fighting breast cancer?? It’s too soon to tell for sure, as trials continue in hopes of establishing a comparison of thermal images and traditional screening. One thing is for sure: A brighter future for technology may very well mean a brighter – and longer – future for women everywhere. |