The Application of Passive Thermography and Measurement of Burn Surface Area for the Assessment of the Burn Wound Healing Process

Defining of the progress in burn treatment is not an easy task, as burn wounds look similar or even identical at all stages of dressings and therapeutic treatments. In most cases, the assessment of the wound healing is based on the photographs taken at particular stages of treatment. In addition, the measurement of surface area of the wound indicated by the doctor is used to make the assessment more objective. Due to the fact that some changes are not visible on the surface of the wound, it is essential to provide thermograms, which show the variation of temperatures on the wound surface. The quantity assessment, connected for example with the surface area measurement, is very difficult. Thermographic pictures on average do not have tight edges allowing for an identification of borders between the areas with pathological changes and the undamaged tissue. Therefore, in practice the damaged areas are identified on the basis of the temperature variation between the area of the injury and the undamaged tissue with a reference to a particular temperature. The article will discuss the algorithms enabling the measurement of the surface area in thermograms and their application allowing for an easier and more objective assessment of the progress of the injury treatment as well as making initial diagnosis of abnormalities in the process.