GE scientists are exploring many potential thermal imaging and sensing applications with their new detection concept such as medical diagnostics, surveillance, non-destructive inspection and others, where visual heat maps of imaged areas serve as a valuable condition indicator. Some examples include:
Thermal Imaging for advanced medical diagnosis — to better visualize inflammation in the body and understand changes in a patient’s health earlier.
Advanced thermal vision — to see things at night and during the day in much greater detail than what is possible today.
Fire thermal Imaging — to aid firefighters with new handheld devices to enhance firefighter safety in operational situations
Thermal security surveillance — to improve public safety and homeland protection
Thermal characterization of wound infections — to facilitate early diagnosis.
Thermal imaging is used in a variety of industrial, medical and military applications today, ranging from the non-invasive inspection of industrial components and medical diagnostics to military applications such as thermal vision goggles and others.
GE’s new bio-inspired nanostructured system could enable an even broader application of thermal imaging by improving the manufacturability, image resolution, sensitivity, and response time of new systems. These advances would enable the production of more advanced systems at much lower cost, the company says