National Seminar on Medical Thermography held

CHENNAI: The use of temperature as an indicator of human health can be traced to the time of Hippocrates. This simple indicator may soon be the key to diagnosing diseases such as breast, oral and cervical cancer, which affect a large number of Indians due to poor or late diagnosis.In this scenario, a solution to these problems may be available in the market soon, say experts. Discussing what might be the future of early cancer detection, the Department of Biomedical Engineering of SRM University has organised a national seminar on medical thermography. Infrared thermography is today a testing tool for material characterisation and predictive condition management in electrical and process industries. In the 1950s, this technology found use in the field of clinical diagnostics. Today, this technique is set to be an invaluable diagnostic aid in advanced clinical practices. Thermal imaging in medical application primarily assesses the physiological condition through analysis of the skin temperature variations, based on differences in temperature patterns between normal and abnormal areas. The success of this method is based on the accurate determination of the temperature differences.Prof Dr Ramesh C Deka, Director and CEO of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, spoke about the need for a multidisciplinary approach to the science of diagnosing, and the importance of technology in coming to our rescue. “The currently validated systems for diagnosing internal diseases are CT scan, digital X rays and computer tomography. Now, four-dimensional imaging is also available. Currently, the need is for simple diagnostic tools to make diagnosis affordable for the masses in India,” he said.Asking medical engineers to create portable thermography machines to enable cancer diagnosis in rural areas, Deka added that simple components and design were the key. He said, “In the next 30 years, India should be world leaders in this technology.”Dr M Ponnavaikko, Vice Chancellor of SRM University, spoke about the advancement of diagnostic technology over the years, from when it was done in a crude way, to the sophisticated computing of today. Welcoming students and academicians to the two-day seminar, he said, “Take the opportunity to participate and interact with the experts present, and don’t just attend. You will learn a lot more that way.”SC Chetal, Director, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, was also present on the occasion, and delivered the keynote address.The seminar will cover the basics of medical thermography, advances and application in the diagnosis of breast cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue disease, and the future of the technique. All the lectures will be delivered by eminent researchers, faculty,and other experts from institutions and industries in India. A real-time demonstration of medical thermography in a case study will also be given.