Infrared Thermography as a Means of Monitoring and Preventing Sports Injuries

Author(s):  
Manuel Sillero-Quintana ◽  
Pedro M. Gomez-Carmona ◽  
Ismael Fernández-Cuevas

Sports injuries are one of the most important problems in sports. Moreover, professional sports injuries lead to a difficult recovery process for the athletes, reduced athletic performance, and large economic costs. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a safe, non-invasive and low-cost technique that allows for the rapid and non-contact recording of Skin Temperature (Tsk). Recent research results have demonstrated new applications for this technique; among them, the monitoring and prevention of sports injuries appears to be one of the most interesting applications. Although IRT is not as objective as other methods, it may be sufficiently accurate and reliable as a complementary tool considering the theory that musculoskeletal structures should be in thermal equilibrium when in a healthy state. Therefore, the main contribution of IRT is to help identify an injury before it occurs, providing an opportunity for preventative action.

Author(s):  
Manuel Sillero-Quintana ◽  
Pedro M. Gomez-Carmona ◽  
Ismael Fernández-Cuevas

Sports injuries are one of the most important problems in sports. Moreover, professional sports injuries lead to a difficult recovery process for the athletes, reduced athletic performance, and large economic costs. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a safe, non-invasive and low-cost technique that allows for the rapid and non-contact recording of Skin Temperature (Tsk). Recent research results have demonstrated new applications for this technique; among them, the monitoring and prevention of sports injuries appears to be one of the most interesting applications. Although IRT is not as objective as other methods, it may be sufficiently accurate and reliable as a complementary tool considering the theory that musculoskeletal structures should be in thermal equilibrium when in a healthy state. Therefore, the main contribution of IRT is to help identify an injury before it occurs, providing an opportunity for preventative action.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 7-15
Author(s):  
Rui Bordalo ◽  
Salomé Carvalho ◽  
José Guilherme Abreu ◽  
Eduarda Vieira

Infrared thermography (IRT) is a non-destructive and non-invasive technique that provides the possibility to investigate the surface of sculptures for the detection of subsurface features and anomalies such as delamination, layer structure, fillings, and defects. IRT has been widely used in buildings and large structures, as well as in works of art such as bronze sculptures and paintings. This article describes the application of active infrared thermography, using a portable low-cost IRT camera, in the examination of plaster sculptures, a material where it has not yet been applied to. In particular, it was used in two plaster sculptures by 19th-century Portuguese artist Soares dos Reis, within a wider project (GEO-SR) aimed at the study of his work. The results indicate that thermography is a suitable technique with a great potential to detect alterations under the surface of plaster, revealing a new look into its manufacturing and conservation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Supakorn Harnsoongnoen ◽  
Nuananong Jaroensuk

AbstractThe water displacement and flotation are two of the most accurate and rapid methods for grading and assessing freshness of agricultural products based on density determination. However, these techniques are still not suitable for use in agricultural inspections of products such as eggs that absorb water which can be considered intrusive or destructive and can affect the result of measurements. Here we present a novel proposal for a method of non-destructive, non-invasive, low cost, simple and real—time monitoring of the grading and freshness assessment of eggs based on density detection using machine vision and a weighing sensor. This is the first proposal that divides egg freshness into intervals through density measurements. The machine vision system was developed for the measurement of external physical characteristics (length and breadth) of eggs for evaluating their volume. The weighing system was developed for the measurement of the weight of the egg. Egg weight and volume were used to calculate density for grading and egg freshness assessment. The proposed system could measure the weight, volume and density with an accuracy of 99.88%, 98.26% and 99.02%, respectively. The results showed that the weight and freshness of eggs stored at room temperature decreased with storage time. The relationship between density and percentage of freshness was linear for the all sizes of eggs, the coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9982, 0.9999, 0.9996, 0.9996 and 0.9994 for classified egg size classified 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. This study shows that egg freshness can be determined through density without using water to test for water displacement or egg flotation which has future potential as a measuring system important for the poultry industry.


Author(s):  
Laura Wienands ◽  
Franziska Theiß ◽  
James Eills ◽  
Lorenz Rösler ◽  
Stephan Knecht ◽  
...  

AbstractParahydrogen-induced polarization is a hyperpolarization method for enhancing nuclear magnetic resonance signals by chemical reactions/interactions involving the para spin isomer of hydrogen gas. This method has allowed for biomolecules to be hyperpolarized to such a level that they can be used for real time in vivo metabolic imaging. One particularly promising example is fumarate, which can be rapidly and efficiently hyperpolarized at low cost by hydrogenating an acetylene dicarboxylate precursor molecule using parahydrogen. The reaction is relatively slow compared to the timescale on which the hyperpolarization relaxes back to thermal equilibrium, and an undesirable 2nd hydrogenation step can convert the fumarate into succinate. To date, the hydrogenation chemistry has not been thoroughly investigated, so previous work has been inconsistent in the chosen reaction conditions in the search for ever-higher reaction rate and yield. In this work we investigate the solution preparation protocols and the reaction conditions on the rate and yield of fumarate formation. We report conditions to reproducibly yield over 100 mM fumarate on a short timescale, and discuss aspects of the protocol that hinder the formation of fumarate or lead to irreproducible results. We also provide experimental procedures and recommendations for performing reproducible kinetics experiments in which hydrogen gas is repeatedly bubbled into an aqueous solution, overcoming challenges related to the viscosity and surface tension of the water.


Author(s):  
Marco Vinicio Alban ◽  
Haechang Lee ◽  
Hanul Moon ◽  
Seunghyup Yoo

Abstract Thin dry electrodes are promising components in wearable healthcare devices. Assessing the condition of the human body by monitoring biopotentials facilitates the early diagnosis of diseases as well as their prevention, treatment, and therapy. Existing clinical-use electrodes have limited wearable-device usage because they use gels, require preparation steps, and are uncomfortable to wear. While dry electrodes can improve these issues and have demonstrated performance on par with gel-based electrodes, providing advantages in mobile and wearable applications; the materials and fabrication methods used are not yet at the level of disposable gel electrodes for low-cost mass manufacturing and wide adoption. Here, a low-cost manufacturing process for thin dry electrodes with a conductive micro-pyramidal array is presented for large-scale on-skin wearable applications. The electrode is fabricated using micromolding techniques in conjunction with solution processes in order to guarantee ease of fabrication, high device yield, and the possibility of mass production compatible with current semiconductor production processes. Fabricated using a conductive paste and an epoxy resin that are both biocompatible, the developed micro-pyramidal array electrode operates in a conformal, non-invasive manner, with low skin irritation, which ensures improved comfort for brief or extended use. The operation of the developed electrode was examined by analyzing electrode-skin-electrode impedance, electroencephalography, electrocardiography, and electromyography signals and comparing them with those measured simultaneously using gel electrodes.


Author(s):  
Massine GANA ◽  
Hakim ACHOUR ◽  
Kamel BELAID ◽  
Zakia CHELLI ◽  
Mourad LAGHROUCHE ◽  
...  

Abstract This paper presents a design of a low-cost integrated system for the preventive detection of unbalance faults in an induction motor. In this regard, two non-invasive measurements have been collected then monitored in real time and transmitted via an ESP32 board. A new bio-flexible piezoelectric sensor developed previously in our laboratory, was used for vibration analysis. Moreover an infrared thermopile was used for non-contact temperature measurement. The data is transmitted via Wi-Fi to a monitoring station that intervenes to detect an anomaly. The diagnosis of the motor condition is realized using an artificial neural network algorithm implemented on the microcontroller. Besides, a Kalman filter is employed to predict the vibrations while eliminating the noise. The combination of vibration analysis, thermal signature analysis and artificial neural network provides a better diagnosis. It ensures efficiency, accuracy, easy access to data and remote control, which significantly reduces human intervention.


2021 ◽  
pp. 75-79
Author(s):  
Сергей Валерьевич Штерман ◽  
Михаил Юрьевич Сидоренко ◽  
Юрий Ильич Сидоренко ◽  
Валерий Соломонович Штерман ◽  
Наталья Ивановна Чеботарева

Спортивное питание в настоящее время - это неразделимый сплав, представляющий на практике реализацию современных достижений спортивной физиологии на основе использования специально разработанных продуктов питания со строго научно обоснованным составом. Цель работы заключалась в оценке распространенности в настоящее время продуктов спортивного питания среди различных групп спортсменов и широких слоев населения; в выявлении основных целей, которые ставят перед собой их потребители; в анализе динамики ассортимента продукции на рынке; в определении мотивирующих факторов, оказывающих влияние на потребление этих продуктов и прогнозирование направлений дальнейшего их развития. Доля спортсменов различного уровня, использующих продукты спортивного питания, в настоящее время в разных странах мира составляет от 48 до 81 %. В качестве основных целей их потребления рассматривается повышение уровня спортивных достижений, укрепление состояния здоровья, ускорение процесса восстановления после тренировок и соревнований, улучшение внешнего вида и снижение вероятности получения спортивных травм. Распространенность, объем потребления и ассортимент продуктов спортивного питания увеличиваются с ростом спортивной квалификации атлетов. По причине того, что индивидуальные спортивные дисциплины предъявляют более жесткие психологические требования к их участникам по сравнению с командными, распространенность спортивного питания среди спортсменов в индивидуальных видах спорта установлена выше, чем в командных. Данные проведенных исследований указывают на настоятельную необходимость, с целью обеспечения эффективности применения спортивного питания и предотвращения возникновения нежелательных побочных последствий, постоянного повышения квалификации спортсменов, тренеров, руководителей команд и сопровождающих их медицинских работников в области теории и практики применения современных продуктов спортивного питания. Sports nutrition nowadays is an indivisible alloy, representing in practice the implementation of modern achievements in sports physiology by using specially developted food products with a strictly scientifically formed composition. The purpose of this article was to assess the prevalence of sports nutrition products among various groups of athletes and general population; identifying the main goals that consumers set for themselves in this case; analyzing of the product dynamics on the market; establishing motivating factors that influence consumers behavior and forecasting directions of further sports nutrition development. The share of athletes of various levels using sports nutrition products in different countris of the world currently estimates from 48 to 81 %. The main goals of their consumption are comsidered to increase the level of athletics performance; improve health; accelerate the recovery process after training and competion; improve appearance and reduce the probability of sports injuries. The prevalence, consuption and variety of sports nutrition products used increase with the growth athletes` sports qualification. Due to the fact that individual sports disciplinces impose more stringent physological requirements on their participants compared to team sports, the prevalence of sports nutrition among athletes in individual sports is higher than in team sports. The data of studies indicate the urgent need, in order to ensure the proper effectiveness of the sports nutrition consumption and to avoid the occurance of undesirable side effects, of the carring out continuous knowledge upgrading of athletes, team leaders and accompaning medical personal in the field of theory and practice of sports nutrition.


2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 95-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Pezda ◽  
A. Jarco

Abstract Very well-known advantages of aluminum alloys, such as low mass, good mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, machining-ability, high recycling potential and low cost are considered as a driving force for their development, i.e. implementation in new applications as early as in stage of structural design, as well as in development of new technological solutions. Mechanical and technological properties of the castings made from the 3xx.x group of alloys depend mainly on correctly performed processes of melting and casting, design of a mould and cast element, and a possible heat treatment. The subject-matter of this paper is elaboration of a diagrams and dependencies between parameters of dispersion hardening (temperatures and times of solutioning and ageing treatments) and mechanical properties obtained after heat treatment of the 356.0 (EN AC AlSi7Mg) alloy, enabling full control of dispersion hardening process to programming and obtaining a certain technological quality of the alloy in terms of its mechanical properties after performed heat treatments. Obtained results of the investigations have enabled obtainment of a dependencies depicting effect of parameters of the solutioning and ageing treatments on the mechanical properties (Rm, A5 and KC impact strength) of the investigated alloy. Spatial diagrams elaborated on the basis of these dependencies enable us to determine tendencies of changes of the mechanical properties of the 356.0 alloy in complete analyzed range of temperature and duration of the solutioning and ageing operations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 1565
Author(s):  
Fernanda Lúcia Passos Fukahori ◽  
Daniela Maria Bastos de Souza ◽  
Eduardo Alberto Tudury ◽  
George Chaves Jimenez ◽  
José Ferreira da Silva Neto ◽  
...  

Joint diseases are relatively common in domestic animals, such as dogs. The involved inflammation produces thermal emission, which can be imaged using specific sensors that allow capturing of infrared images. Given that there have been few reports on the use of thermography in the diagnosis of inflammation associated with diseases of the hip joint in dogs, we here propose a method for identification of inflammatory foci in dogs by using infrared thermometry. The present study aimed to find non-invasive and low-cost resources that couldfacilitate a clinical diagnosis in cases withinflammation in the coxofemoral joint of dogs.To this end, we developed a system in whichthe Flir Systems TG165 thermograph is coupled to a black PVC cannula with a 30-cm focus-to-animal distance.External effects of the environment on the temperature of the animalswere compared with the body temperature as measured by a conventional thermometer.Thirty-one dogs with and without inflammation in the coxofemoral joint underwent clinical evaluation.We verified that the temperature registered by the thermograph inthe animals with joint inflammation was significantlydifferentfrom that incontrol animals without inflammation, in the lateral projection.The method showed a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 87.5%, and accuracy of 83.87%. This standardized method of diagnosis of inflammatory foci in the coxofemoral articulation of dogs by way of thermography showed sensitivity, specificity, and satisfactory accuracy.


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