Another Use for Infrared Cameras

Infrared cameras have been used for decades now, first by the military and shortly after by the private sector. These cameras record thermographic images from the radiation emitted by living things, so it is obvious how useful infrared security cameras might when there is not enough light to detect images. However, scientists and inventors alike are constantly looking for more uses of infrared. One of the most recent developments is for the increasingly common condition known as sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea describes a condition where an individual has trouble sleeping due to interruptions in their breathing patterns. For diagnosis a network of electrodes are attached to the head, face, chest, and abdomen of a patient. These electrodes then record the patients breathing patterns while the patient must try to sleep inside a medical lab. As you might imagine, this is a somewhat difficult way to diagnose the condition, which is why scientist have explored the option of using infrared cameras as a new solution.

If the patient already has trouble sleeping, as many as twenty electrodes attached all over their body will probably not help the situation, thus effecting the calculations of the experiment. For this reason, Dr. Jayasimha Murthy of the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, along with his colleagues, developed a new imaging system to record a patient’s breathing patterns with the use of a remote, infrared camera. Like most thermographic infrared cameras this one monitors the changes in heat signals released when the patient inhales and exhales. The point of this new innovation is to remove as many sensors that actually contact the body as possible, thus making it more comfortable for the patient and making the diagnostic process more accurate.

At this phase of development, infrared cameras used for this purpose have been measured against common electrode systems, and the results have been very similar. Murthy and colleagues have studied the data recorded from the infrared camera, at six to eight feet from the patient’s head, with 13 men and women, and the camera detected breathing problems at the same rate as the two most conventional detection methods.

Though for now, these cameras can only replace a few contact electrodes, scientists are testing this tool for other measurements as well, and hopefully contact sensors will be unnecessary in the future. Infrared is no longer for just the military, law enforcement, or business and home security cameras. It continues to prove useful in medicine, research, and development.

About the Author: Mike Ward is the owner and operator of Protection Depot, a leading online supplier of home security cameras and infrared cameras. For more information about security cameras, please visit Protection Depot.