A Preliminary Report on the Use of Thermography as a Diagnostic Tool in Prematurity Apnea

In this project we present a preliminary report on the use of infrared thermography as a diagnostic and monitoring tool in new born respiration rate. This contactless monitoring method it is absolute necessary because it is designed to monitor a very fragile category of patients: premature new born babies. Our biomedical signal of interests it is represented by the spontaneous breaths of the newborn. The novelty in this study is that we are able to apply the proposed monitoring technique to patients that are in a thermal controlled environment. The thermal signature [spatial/temporal patterns] of a patient has the potential of becoming a powerful new diagnostic and monitoring tool.