title: Noncontact detection of dry eye using a custom designed infrared thermal image system.
abstract: Dry eye syndrome is a common irritating eye disease. Current clinical diagnostic methods are invasive and uncomfortable for patients. This study developed a custom designed noncontact infrared (IR) thermal image system to measure the spatial and temporal variation of the ocular surface temperature over a 6-second eye-open period. This research defined two parameters: the temperature difference value and the compactness value to represent the temperature change and the irregularity of the temperature distribution on the tear film. Using these two parameters, this study achieved discrimination results for the dry eye and the normal eye groups; the sensitivity is 0.84, the specificity is 0.83, and the receiver operating characteristic area is 0.87. The results suggest that the custom designed IR thermal image system may be used as an effective tool for noncontact detection of dry eye.
authors.affiliation: National Yang-Ming University, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, No 155, Sec 2, Linong Street, Beitou District, Taipei City 112, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tai Yuan
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Chen Kerh
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Hwa
authors.forename: Po Hsuan
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ming Hong
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: David O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Po Fang
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Shu Wen
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Huihua Kenny
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Chiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016014:Linear Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared / Q000379:methods*; D013666:Tears / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature; D013817:Thermography / Q000379:methods*