Framing, a thermography common mistake
Today, we will talk about framing in thermography, one of the most common mistakes, which does not usually cause as many problems as others but it is also important to take it into account, so that the quality of our data collection sessions are as true to reality.
If you haven’t seen our post about the 7 most common mistakes, we highly recommend that you take a look. This will help you get a better perspective on common thermography mistakes and how to tackle them.
In this publication we are going to see in depth the implications of making a correct framing in thermography and how doing it inaccurately can have consequences of greater or lesser importance.
When we talk about framing we usually refer to the portion of the scene that is included in the image. That is, what part or piece of the reality you are going to capture. Imagine the framing as the setting of a theater play where the story of the patient or subject you intend to analyze takes place. If the actors hide behind the curtain they will go unnoticed by the public. For them, it will be as if the play had never existed.
In image 1, you can see examples of the same image, with different frames. In frame A, the image represents the mountains, the lake, and the person in their kayak, although it is not complete. Frame B represents the same three elements, but reduced: we removed some peaks of the mountains, the kayak does not appear at all and there is no paddle. In C, we can see the paddle, but no mountains, which allows us to look at the fir forest, which we had hardly seen before. Finally, the D, despite having the same representation size as the previous frame, excludes the person. The conclusion is that the information that different framings give us can be very different, hence its importance.
When we talk about framing we usually refer to the portion of the scene that is included in the image. That is, what part or piece of the reality you are going to capture.
Alejandro del Estal
Transferring these concepts to thermography, we can see in image 2 a thermogram that represents a patient’s soles of the feet. Two different frames are also appreciated. Frame A correctly includes all the elements to be analyzed. In frame B, on the other hand, an important part of both heels has been forgotten. What about the part of the reality that does not fit? It is not represented in the picture. And what happens if it is not represented? It will not be analyzed, that is, in practical terms, it does not exist, since we have no information about it.
Next, we show you a real example, so that we can see the difference between frames. In image 3, we can see the wrong framing in thermography (A) and the correct one (B). As it seems logical, since A does not include everything we want to analyze, it is not valid in thermography, but … there is not that much difference, right? At the end of the day, it is just a bit of the feet that we have lost.
Images 4A and 4B show us the differences once analyzed with the ThermoHuman® software, in the avatar and in the segmentation.
And for the most curious, we also include the data tables of both images, where we can see the enormous differences for that little “bit of the feet”.
Incorrect framing in posterior superior 
Incorrect framing in posterior inferior
It is true, framing in thermography is a very easy mistake to solve. The problem is that it is not so simple when, at the same time, we have to pay attention to the other 7 most common errors. For this reason, from the ThermoHuman team we wish you a lot of strength. With a little effort and dedication, we will be able to eradicate this and the other six most common mistakes. It may seem too obvious, but if it is included in the 7 most common mistakes, it is because it happens more frequently than it may seem.
If you have any comments or clarifications, do not hesitate to send us a message. We will be happy to read you.
ThermoHuman has had the support of the Funds of the European Union and the Community of Madrid through the Operational Programme on Youth Employment. Likewise, ThermoHuman within the framework of the Export Initiation Program of ICEX NEXT, had the support of ICEX and the co-financing of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). 
