The concept for integration of thermal imaging systems with personal protective equipment.

Work in difficult conditions resulting from limited visibility in conjunction with restricted movement and complexity of performed operations involves high risk. The hazard can be reduced significantly through rapid provision of information on the risks people are exposed to under certain working conditions. Their reactions - classified as improper - result most often under stress, in particular when acting in limited visibility conditions. This article shall treat of reduced visibility understood as lack of visibility resulting from dim light, as opposed to the problem of obstructed view, which is not discussed here.

UV protective textile clothing for workers exposed to natural and artificial UV radiation.

Some amounts of ultraviolet radiation are beneficial for humans but excessive exposure can cause many negative health effects to the skin and eyes and also can affect the immune system. Exposed area of skin should be covered by working clothes with low UVR transmission. It concerns both exposure to natural UV or prolonged exposure to artificial UV. This article presents some aspects of UV protective textile clothing for workers exposed to natural and artificial UV radiation. This article presents results of selected textile samples transmittances and calculated UPF and new proposed AUPF, which describes protective properties against UV of textiles. The UPF and AUPF differs substantially between each other, what is related both to the weighting factors of erythema and actinic efficiency functions and spectral range of these functions. UV protection by clothing depends on a large variety of factors, such as type of fiber, color or moisture content. Contrary to popular opinion, however, some fabrics provide insufficient ultraviolet (UV) protection.

Corneal endothelial cells' protection against thermal injury: influence of ophthalmic viscoelastic substances in experimental study on rabbits.

PURPOSE: To quantify the maximal level of temperature and the time the maximal temperature is achieved and correlate the temperature parameters to the mean rate of endothelial cell loss after standardized ultrasound delivery assisted with four viscoelastic substances or different temperature of balanced salt solution (BSS). METHODS: Thirty rabbits (60 eyes) were divided into six groups in which different viscoelastic substances or different temperature of BSS were used: Group 1, Viscoat; 2, Provisc; 3, soft shell technique; 4, Celoftal; 5, BSS 22 degrees C; and 6, BSS 4 degrees C. The same parameters of ultrasound energy were delivered by standard phaco tip introduced into pupillary plane. Thermocamera was employed for measurements of temperature parameters. Endothelium cell count was measured before surgery and 1 month postoperatively. RESULTS: Maximal level of temperature was measured as follows: Group 5, 27.85 +/- 0.52 degrees C; Group 2, 27.75 +/- 0.54 degrees C; Group 3, 27.74 +/- 0.46 degrees C; Group 4, 27.25 +/- 0.60 degrees C; Group 6, 26.81 +/- 0.34 degrees C; Group 1, 26.52 +/- 0.48 degrees C (p<0.05). The time the maximal temperature is achieved was statistically shorter in Groups 5 and 6: 4 seconds, 5 seconds, respectively, p<0.0001, as compared with Group 2 (30 seconds), Group 3 (40 seconds), Group 1 (45 seconds), and Group 4 (50 seconds). The mean rate of endothelial cell loss was calculated as follows: Group 1, 4.35%+/-2.55%; Group 2, 8.43%+/-5.2%; Group 3, 6.25%+/-4.20%; Group 4, 6.53%+/-4.65%; Group 5, 14.3%+/-3.85%; and Group 6, 8.78%+/-4.45%. CONCLUSIONS: Viscoelastic substances offer different levels of endothelial cell protection against temperature increase during phacoemulsification. The mean rate of endothelial cell loss correlates with the time the maximal temperature is achieved rather than with the value of maximal level of temperature. This implicates that surgical strategy should consider the choice of the most effective viscoelastic substances, particularly in difficult cases, e.g., hard nucleus, shallow anterior chamber, primary endothelial abnormality.

Application of thermovision in the assessment of thermal properthies ophthalmic viscoelastic substances.

Ophthalmic viscoelastic devices play a crucial role in cataract surgery today by protecting corneal endothelium, structures of anterior chamber and maintaining space inside the eye for safe manipulation during surgical treatment. Many factors likely affect the corneal endothelium during phacoemulsification procedure. These can be divided into 3 groups: 1. direct mechanical trauma including inadvertent touch of the endothelium by ophthalmic instruments, nuclear fragments, intraocular implant, 2. chemical adverse effects of irrigating solution 3. Influence of ultrasound energy affecting endothelium directly or increased, indirectly by temperature, acoustic contaction or via the generation of free radicals. Among various intraoperative complications that lead to endothelial cell loss thermal injury is potentially relevant. The main source of increased temperature is ultrasound energy delivered into the eye and partially converted into thermal energy. Different viscoelastic substances currently used during cataract surgery have various physical properties e.g. rheology, osmotic strength, viscosity, cohesion that provide different levels of endothelium protection from mechanical, irrigating and ultrasound insult and corneal deturgescence due to osmotic and thermal factors. However thermal factor is thought to be potentially devastating on corneal endothelium. However little is known how different viscoelastic regiments can protect cornea against this kind of injury during cataract surgery.

Thermography in psoriasis vulgaris evaluation.

Psoriasis vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a strong genetic component, characterized by hyperkeratosis, dermal inflammatory infiltrate and increased angiogenesis. The aim of the present study was to employ thermography in evaluation of psoriatic lesions localized in different parts of the body. A series of in-patients with stable plaque type psoriasis vulgaris were included. ThermaCam INFRAMETRICS 290E thermocamera with temperature resolution of 0.1 °C was used in the study. Both visual and thermal images of 84 areas of lesional and lesion-free skin in patients were taken and analyzed. All the skin lesions were divided into 4 groups, according to their location i.e. found on the upper limbs, lower limbs, chest and back. Increased temperature was observed over psoriatic lesions located in the chest and upper limbs. To the contrary, skin lesions located on the back and lower limbs presented lower temperature. It is conceivable to speculate that lower temperature revealed within the lower parts of the body may explain to some extend slower regression of the lesions located in this region in comparison to skin lesions located over the upper parts of the body.

Corneal endothelial cells' protection against thermal injury: influence of ophthalmic viscoelastic substances in experimental study on rabbits.

PURPOSE: To quantify the maximal level of temperature and the time the maximal temperature is achieved and correlate the temperature parameters to the mean rate of endothelial cell loss after standardized ultrasound delivery assisted with four viscoelastic substances or different temperature of balanced salt solution (BSS). METHODS: Thirty rabbits (60 eyes) were divided into six groups in which different viscoelastic substances or different temperature of BSS were used: Group 1, Viscoat; 2, Provisc; 3, soft shell technique; 4, Celoftal; 5, BSS 22 C; and 6, BSS 4 C. The same parameters of ultrasound energy were delivered by standard phaco tip introduced into pupillary plane. Thermocamera was employed for measurements of temperature parameters. Endothelium cell count was measured before surgery and 1 month postoperatively. RESULTS: Maximal level of temperature was measured as follows: Group 5, 27.85 0.52 C; Group 2, 27.75 0.54 C; Group 3, 27.74 0.46 C; Group 4, 27.25 0.60 C; Group 6, 26.81 0.34 C; Group 1, 26.52 0.48 C (p<0.05). The time the maximal temperature is achieved was statistically shorter in Groups 5 and 6: 4 seconds, 5 seconds, respectively, p<0.0001, as compared with Group 2 (30 seconds), Group 3 (40 seconds), Group 1 (45 seconds), and Group 4 (50 seconds). The mean rate of endothelial cell loss was calculated as follows: Group 1, 4.35%2.55%; Group 2, 8.43%5.2%; Group 3, 6.25%4.20%; Group 4, 6.53%4.65%; Group 5, 14.3%3.85%; and Group 6, 8.78%4.45%. CONCLUSIONS: Viscoelastic substances offer different levels of endothelial cell protection against temperature increase during phacoemulsification. The mean rate of endothelial cell loss correlates with the time the maximal temperature is achieved rather than with the value of maximal level of temperature. This implicates that surgical strategy should consider the choice of the most effective viscoelastic substances, particularly in difficult cases, e.g., hard nucleus, shallow anterior chamber, primary endothelial abnormality.

Qualitative thermograhic analysis of psoriatic skin lesions.

Psoriasis vulgaris affects about 2% of the human population all over the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate usefulness of thermography in estimation of psoriatic lesion activity. A series of patients with plaque type psoriasis vulgaris were included. ThermaCam INFRAMETRICS 290E thermocamera with temperature resolution of 0.1 degrees C was employed. Both visual and thermal images of the patients were taken. Clinical severity of the lesions was evaluated by Plaque Severity Score (PSS, scale 0-4). We discovered higher temperature over psoriatic plaques and further vastly expanding beyond the visually documented borders of the lesions thus not corresponding to the individual shapes of the lesions, suggested that those lesions presented an active phase of the disease (developing over the last 2-3 weeks). To the contrary, areas of the increased temperature over chronic psoriatic plaques (already developed at least 8 weeks before without signs of visible progression) corresponded quite well to the shapes of clinically visible lesions i.e. single lesions could be differentiated within the area of the increased temperature. The above observations would allow to introduce more aggressive local treatment only to the selected lesions thus as much as possible sparing the rest of them from probable side-effects.

The relationship between the difference in prismatic refractive power of an eye-and-face protector and its thickness, radius of curvature, and material.

With the help of the research results presented here and on the basis of a graphic analysis we aim to prove the existence of a relationship between the difference in prismatic refractive power and the thickness, curvature radius, and type of material used for panoramic oculars in protective spectacles, goggles, and face shields. The difference in the prismatic refractive power is a fundamental optical characteristic of a protective ocular without corrective effect. According to Standard No. EN 165:1995 (European Committee for Standardization, 1995) the difference in the prismatic refractive power is a difference in the prismatic effect at 2 observation points of an eye-protector.