Thermographic imaging in sports and exercise medicine: A Delphi study and consensus statement on the measurement of human skin temperature

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Elsevier in Journal of Thermal Biology on 18/07/2017, available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2017.07.006 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.© 2017 Elsevier Ltd The importance of using infrared thermography (IRT) to assess skin temperature (tsk) is increasing in clinical settings. Recently, its use has been increasing in sports and exercise medicine; however, no consensus guideline exists to address the methods for collecting data in such situations. The aim of this study was to develop a checklist for the collection of tsk using IRT in sports and exercise medicine. We carried out a Delphi study to set a checklist based on consensus agreement from leading experts in the field. Panelists (n  =  24) representing the areas of sport science (n = 8; 33%), physiology (n = 7; 29%), physiotherapy (n = 3; 13%) and medicine (n = 6; 25%), from 13 different countries completed the Delphi process. An initial list of 16 points was proposed which was rated and commented on by panelists in three rounds of anonymous surveys following a standard Delphi procedure. The panel reached consensus on 15 items which encompassed the participants’ demographic information, camera/room or environment setup and recording/analysis of tsk using IRT. The results of the Delphi produced the checklist entitled “Thermographic Imaging in Sports and Exercise Medicine (TISEM)” which is a proposal to standardize the collection and analysis of tsk data using IRT. It is intended that the TISEM can also be applied to evaluate bias in thermographic studies and to guide practitioners in the use of this technique.Published versio

Quantifying cognitive workload and defining training time requirements using thermography

Effective mental workload measurement is critical because mental workload significantly affects human performance. A non-invasive and objective workload measurement tool is needed to overcome limitations of current mental workload measures. Further, training/learning increases mental workload during skill or knowledge acquisition, followed by a decreased mental workload, though sufficient training times are unknown. The objectives of this study were to: (1) investigate the efficacy of using thermography as a non-contact physiological measure to quantify mental workload, (2) quantify and describe the relationship between mental workload and learning/training, and, (3) introduce a method to determine a sufficient training time and an optimal human performance level for a novel task by using thermography. Three studies were conducted to address these objectives. The first study investigated the efficacy of using thermography to quantity the relationship between mental workload and facial temperature changes while learning an alpha-numeric task. Thermography measured and quantified the mental workload level successfully. Strong and significant correlations were found among thermography, performance, and subjective workload measures (MCH and SWAT ratings). The second study investigated the utility of using a psychophysical approach to determine workload levels that maximize performance on a cognitive task. The second study consisted of an adjustment session (participants adjusted their own workload levels) and work session (participants worked at the chosen workload level). Participants were found to fall into two performance groups (low and high performers by accuracy rate) and results were significantly different. Thermography demonstrated whether both group found their optimal workload level. The last study investigated efficacy of using thermography to quantify mental workload level in a complex training/learning environment. Experienced drivers’ performance data was used as criteria to indicate whether novice drivers mastered the driving skills. Strong and significant correlations were found among thermography, subjective workload measures, and performance measures in novice drivers. This study verified that thermography is a reliable and valid way to measure workload as a non-invasive and objective method. Also, thermography provided more practical results than subjective workload measures for simple and complex cognitive tasks. Thermography showed the capability to identify a sufficient training time for simple or complex cognitive tasks

Thermal body patterns for healthy Brazilian adults (male and female)

The aim of this study was to establish the skin temperature (Tsk) thermal profile for the Brazilian population and to compare the differences between female and male Brazilian adults. A total of 117 female and 103 male were examined with a thermographic camera. The Tsk of 24 body regions of interest (ROI) were recorded and analyzed. Male Tsk results were compared to female and 10 ROI were evaluated with respect to the opposite side of the body (right vs. left) to identify the existence of significant contralateral Tsk differences (?Tsk). When compared right to left, the largest contralateral ?Tsk was 0.3 °C. The female vs. male analysis yielded significant differences (p menor que0.05) in 13 of the 24 ROI. Thigh regions, both ventral and dorsal, had the highest ?Tsk by sex (? 1.0 °C). Tsk percentile below P5 or P10 and over P9o or P95 may be used to characterize hypothermia and hyperthermia states, respectively. Thermal patterns and Tsk tables 2 were established for Brazilian adult men and women for each ROI. There is a low Tsk variation between sides of the body and gender differences were only significant for some ROIs

ANALYSIS OF ELECTROMYOGRAPHY (EMG) SIGNAL PROCESSING ATTRIBUTES

Electromyography (EMG) is a study of the muscular activity through analysis of electrical activity produced from muscles. This electrical activity is present as a raw signal as a signal is the result of neuromuscular activation that linked with muscle contraction. The most frequent techniques of signal recording are using surface and needle or wire electrode. The needle or wire electrode usually used by clinicians in clinical electromyography. This paper will concentrate on surface electromyography (SEMG) signal or also known as kinesiological signal. During recording and storing EMG data, several problems had to be encountered such as noise, motion artifacts and signal instability. Therefore, various filtering signal processing have been implemented to improve reliable signal for analysis. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the best filtering methods that can be used for an EMG signal analysis. Then, the correlation between thermal images and EMG devices is implemented

Use of infrared thermography in the detection of superficial phlebitis in adult intensive care unit patients:A prospective single-center observational study

Common methods to detect phlebitis may not be sufficient for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The goal of this study was to investigate the feasibility of infrared (IR) thermography to objectively detect phlebitis in adult ICU patients. We included a total of 128 adult ICU-patients in a pilot and subsequent validation study. Median [interquartile range] age was 62 [54-71] years and 88 (69%) patients were male. Severity of phlebitis was scored using the visual infusion phlebitis (VIP)-score, ranging from 0 (no phlebitis) to 5 (thrombophlebitis). The temperature difference (ΔT) between the insertion site and a proximal reference point was measured with IR thermography. In 78 (34%) catheters early phlebitis and onset of moderate phlebitis was observed (VIP-score of 1-3). In both the pilot and the validation study groups ΔT was significantly higher when the VIP-score was ≥1 compared to a VIP-score of 0 (p<0.01 and p<0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis identified ΔT (p<0.001) and peripheral venous catheter (PVC) dwell time (p = 0.001) as significantly associated with phlebitis. IR thermography may be a promising technique to identify phlebitis in the ICU. An increased ΔT as determined with thermography may be a risk factor for phlebitis

Assessment of aerial thermography as a method of in situ measurement of radiant heat transfer in urban public spaces

Una propuesta de nuevas estrategias para la mejora del medio ambiente urbano, usando termografía aérea para el cálculo de la temperatura media radianteUrban public spaces are an essential part of the urban environment, supporting social relationships and pro- moting a healthy lifestyle among citizens. However, the high value of urban land has led to an over-urbanisation of cities, increasing urban heat stress and decreasing the number and size of public spaces. Rising air temper- atures in cities – known as the urban heat island effect (UHI) - combined with global warming, make public spaces less comfortable. For these reasons, there has been a growing concern to improve the thermal comfort of urban spaces. Thermal radiation is a determining factor in urban thermal comfort and is normally summarised in a value called mean radiant temperature (TMRT). In the past, conventional methods have been used to calculate it, such as net radiometers and globe thermometers. In recent years, the scientific community has used ground- based handheld thermal cameras for its quantification. However, there is a lack of literature on the use of aerial thermography for this purpose (i.e. an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a thermal infrared device). Given this gap in the literature and the advantages in time, versatility and accuracy of these systems, this paper presents a new method for assessing the measurement of radiant heat transfer in a pedestrian urban space using aerial thermography. From the surface temperatures of the infrared imagery collected by the UAV, TMRT was estimated at multiple points in a pedestrian area of a subtropical city (Huelva, Spain) during a typical summer day. In order to verify accuracy of the proposed method to estimate the TMRT, a microclimate urban simulation was carried out using ENVI-met v5. The comparative analysis of the measured and simulated dataset verified the applicability of aerial thermography for the measurement of radiant heat transfer (with R2 values of 0.98 for the data set and 0.8 for the data of each time period). To conclude, new strategies were proposed to improve urban thermal comfort and to make cities more sustainable.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva/CBUA. Proyecto SALTES (P20_00730): Smartgrid with reconfigurable Architecture for testing controL Techniques and Energy Storage priority. Programa Operativo FEDER 2014-2020 Junta de Andalucia