WellVu Thermal cameras - a physiological picture of your patient
Making the invisible visible with thermal imaging technology
WellVu Thermal Cameras allow you to take a picture of your patient’s physiological health in real-time, what is happening right at that moment. All other imaging that we do in practice, radiographic, ultrasound, MRI, and CT studies, tell us what has already happened.
Thermal energy is constantly being emitted from our patients. The amount of energy is dependent on the anatomical location, the vascular supply to that area, and its neurological state.
Nature is symmetrical; look at a leaf or snowflake. When our patients were younger, they were more thermally symmetrical when considering contralateral anatomical areas. As time marches on, our patients become thermally asymmetrical due to injury, disease, and aging. Identifying these areas of thermal asymmetry is an indication that there is an issue that deserves further investigation and, potentially, diagnostics.
WellVu thermal imaging system's high resolution and sensitivity allows you to instantly visualize the physiological state of your patient. Medically calibrated veterinary-specific software compiles this radiated temperature data, converts it to an electrical impulse, and finally produces a detailed image: a thermogram. This thermogram is an easy-to-interpret illustration of the physiological state of the patient. The patient is its own control so any thermal asymmetry should warrant further investigation.
How can thermal imaging technology be used?
- Wellness screenings
- Qualitative assessment of treatment progress in the patient's therapy
- Injury prevention through early detection, whether for dogs or horses in sport
- Geriatric quality of life assessments
- Lamess examinations
- Support communication with customers by visualizing potential problems
Thermal imaging camera to support successful laser therapy
- Targeted treatment
- Correct dosage
- Monitoring success by comparing the temperature differences before and after treatment
Benefits of thermal imaging:
- Identifies anatomical areas that would benefit from further evaluation
- Provides early detection of disorders, including visualization of any primary and compensatory areas of concern
- Visually reinforces your findings to the client
- Objectively monitors any therapeutic plan
- Provides the best client education tool, which increases compliance with the suggested regime of treatments.
How to interpret images
Interpretation is intuitive as you visualize areas of thermal asymmetry.
The dermis is a great communication device. It tells us loud and clear what is occuring beneath it. This thermal energy is measured to .02°C and the veterinary specific software converts these measurements into a high resolution visual image of the patient.
A comparison of the patient’s contralateral anatomical areas is made to identify areas of thermal asymmetry. Differences in temperature greater than 1° C are significant (Soroko, 2017; Purohit and McCoy, 1980; Palmer, 1981).
WellVu 640
The WellVu 640 utilizes a 640 x 512 high-resolution detector to capture high-quality thermal images. The WellVu 640 measures 327,680 temperature points with a sensitivity of < .02° C and an accuracy of +/- 1° C. It has one of the highest resolutions of all medical or veterinary IR devices available on the market.
The thermal sensitivity of this equipment is 50 to 75 times more sensitive to heat and 15 to 25 times more sensitive to cold than we can achieve with palpation.
The software is medically calibrated and veterinary-specific to ensure the best quality thermal images regardless of the animal's hair coat. The WellVu 640’s rugged design and cordless operation make it perfect for use in hospitals, clinics, or stables.
Development and manufacturing
The thermal cameras of WellVu are developed and manufactured according to medical technology guidelines and ISO standards and are FDA cleared.
The WellVu cameras are P12 Medical imported into Switzerland, inspected and trained. The cameras comply with all Swiss and EU regulatory requirements.
On the web page of WellVu you will find the latest studies and product information.