Objectives: At present, medical thermal imaging is still considered a mere qualitative tool enabling us to distinguish between but lacking the ability to quantify the physiological and nonphysiological states of the body. Such a capability would, however, facilitate solving the problem of medical quantification, whose presence currently manifests itself within the entire healthcare system. Methods: A generally applicable method to enhance captured 3D spatial data carrying temperature-related information is presented; in this context, all equations required for other data fusions are derived. The method can be utilized for high-density point clouds or detailed meshes at a high resolution but is conveniently usable in large objects with sparse points. Results: The benefits of the approach are experimentally demonstrated on 3D thermal scans of injured subjects. We obtained diagnostic information inaccessible via traditional methods. Conclusion: Using a 3D model and thermal image data fusion allows the quantification of inflammation, facilitating more precise injury and illness diagnostics or monitoring. The technique offers a wide application potential in medicine and multiple technological domains, including electrical and mechanical engineering.

• MeSH
• Algorithms MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Thermography instrumentation   MeSH
• Inflammation diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Imaging, Three-Dimensional instrumentation   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH