Novel Use Of Smartphone-based Infrared Imaging In The Detection Of Acute Limb Ischaemia

Authors: A. Peleki, A. da Silva

Introduction:

Infrared thermal imaging is based on perfusion changes reflected by skin temperature variations. It is an established non-invasive diagnostic method within vascular surgery, with applications such as peripheral arterial disease assessment and prevention of diabetic foot complications. However, owing to hardware limitations or lack of resources, it is not yet widely used in clinical practice.

Report:

A novel portable infrared imaging camera, easily powered via a smartphone and free App software, was used to obtain digital thermograms during the clinical evaluation of acute limb ischaemia (ALI).

Discussion:

Portable infrared imaging represents a new promising tool for the assessment of tissue perfusion that can be applied at the bedside during clinical evaluation of suspected ALI.

Keywords

Acute limb ischaemia; Infrared imaging; Thermal imaging; Thermogram

Citation: A. Peleki, A. da Silva Novel Use Of Smartphone-based Infrared Imaging In The Detection Of Acute Limb Ischaemia  doi:10.1016/j.ejvssr.2016.04.004.

Received: 4 January 2016, Revised: 4 April 2016, Accepted: 17 April 2016, Available online: 6 May 2016

Copyright: © 2016  The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of European Society for Vascular Surgery. This is an openaccess article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Conclusions

Smartphone-based infrared photography can provide an easy way to obtain clear and quick bedside evaluation of tissue perfusion. Further studies are required to quantify the diagnostic value of this noninvasive tool in the clinical context of ALI assessment, as well as to explore its quality-control potential of revascularisation outcomes.