Infrared Thermography and Image Analysis of Dynamic Processes around the Facial Area

Abstract

This paper describes the principles of visualization and analysis of thermal fields generated by different physiological processes around the facial area and in the environment. The dynamics of these fields was studied and their possible application for quantitative evaluation of psychophysical parameters is analyzed using infrared thermography with high spatial and temporal resolution. A software module has been developed and tested for combining infrared and visible camera images. A technique was proposed for complex recording and analysis of central and peripheral nervous activities using a thermal camera that captures three types of temperature fields that vary with time around the facial area: exhaled gas flows, cutaneous blood circulation, and sweat gland activity.