Non contact measurement of body temperature for the identification of thermoregulation abilities in preterm patients

In this paper, a novel contactless measurement method for the assessment of the thermoregulatory abilities of preterm infants is proposed. It is based on the use of an infrared (IR) thermo-camera allowing precise, multipoint and contactless measurement of the skin temperature of the preterm patient. The method proposed has been designed to verify the ability of the preterm patients to correctly operate the process of thermoregulation on his/her body. Results show a mean difference of 0.01°C between IR camera measurements and values simultaneously measured with a standard contact thermo-resistance. No dependence from the temperature value was shown on the physiological range of temperatures (28-36°C). From the experimental data it is possible to extrapolate the empirical model of the thermoregulation mechanism of patients, allowing to individuate deviation from normal behavior for those patients with reduced abilities to self-regulate his/her body temperature.