Testing of two Thermographic Devices with two types of Temperature Sensors for Detecting and Locating of Incipient Breast Tumors

In this paper we present the challenges that arise in using devices based on contact thermography that are to be used for the detection and localization of very early breast cancers. Both devices can be connected to a PC using the common USB port. Two types of temperature sensors arrays are used: a junction diode array and a NTC resistor array. The breast temperature is sampled at a number of points with the sensor array. The data from the sensor array is used to obtain the difference and normalized fields which are then interpolated over the full breast surface. Disturbances in these fields could indicate the presence of a tumor. This interpolated field is part of the boundary condition for the Pennes equation and could be used to locate the tumor by solving an inverse temperature field problem.