INTRODUCTION: Infrared (IR) thermal imaging is a non-invasive and diagnostic technique that allows evaluation and quantification based on the temperature changes of the skin surface. It provides significant information for clinical diagnosis; however this technique does not present the anatomical details of the region under inspection. In this work, it is presented an innovative image fusion method between different imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance images (MRI) or X-ray computed tomography (CT), together with IR thermal images. METHODS: Firstly, in order to build the 3D model, the MRI or CT images and the IR thermal images (from the region of interest) are acquired. Then, based on the tomographic planes (image slices), the 2D projections are generated, and the IR images are registered accordingly. Next, the already registered IR set of images are combined and projected over the 3D MRI or CT model. RESULTS: The result is a 3D fused image that combines the information contents from the two different medical imaging modalities. The combination of these two medical imaging modalities offers a new 3D imaging technique that combines anatomical (MRI or CT) and functional (the body's surface temperature) information. CONCLUSION: The results obtained up to now with this new methodology indicate that it can aid in medical diagnosis.
Thermography; Registration; Image fusion; 3D visualization
