Professor James B. Mercer, Ph.D is a full time professor with the Cardiovascular Research Group, Department of Medical Physiology, Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of medicine, The University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway

In addition, Professor Mercer has a part time position at the Department of Radiology, The University Hospital of Northern Norway, Tromsø, Norway

Both institutions have given Professor James B. Mercer permission to use material presented in this web site

Medical IR thermography - a re-emerging field in Scandinavia

The enormous potential which modern high resolution IR-cameras have as a diagnostic and/or  research tool has led to a revival of IR-thermography in medicine, especially in the USA, Japan as well as in some European countries (e.g Germany, Denmark, Poland, UK), Other countries, including Norway, have been more reserved in using this technology in medicine. As far as we are aware our small research group in Tromsø is the only group using this technology on a regular basis in Norway. Recent technological advances have led to new generations of IR-cameras suitable for Medical Thermography with very high sensitivity as well as state of the art image processing software.

Experience with IR thermography at the Medical Faculty, UiTø and UNN.

Seven years ago we obtained a NIKON Laird S-270 IR camera, a 2^nd generation cooled IR camera. With this camera, we have gained both clinical and research experience in the use of medical IR-thermography. At the Department of Medical Physiology, University of Tromsoe we have been using IR thermography as a research tool in studies concerned with age related changes in peripheral circulation of the hands and feet including a study on the effects of nicotine. Collaboration with the University Hospital of North Norway in Tromsoe has increased over the last few years, including the Department of Hand and Plastic Surgery, The Department of Anaesthesiology, Department of Radiology, Department of Orthopaedics, Department of Rheumatology and Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery. One of the major area of interest both in a research and a clinical setting is autologous breast re-construction surgery, where we have been using Infrared Thermography, pre-, intra and post operatively. In 2003/2003 Professor Mercer spent 9 months  working with Medical Thermography at the Department for Clinical Physiology, Hilleroed Hospital, Denmark (treatment of venous leg ulcers with water filtered infrared A radiation as well as with hand and leg injuries).  In 2007 we purchased an additional camera (Flir, Thermacam 65HS) with a variety of lenses and fire wire control, which has improved our capabilities for performing dynamic thermography. 

Some example of the our work can be seen in the Image Gallery page