Noninvasive infrared thermometry for application in skin biology--I: Model measurements and local measurements on the dorsal surface of the rabbit.

Understanding thermal energy distribution is essential to interpret skin temperature for diagnosing various pathological and experimental conditions. The present paper investigates temperature data measurements acquired with an infrared thermometer system and in vivo temperature measurements on the backs of New Zealand rabbits. Local differences in skin temperature are significant around bony structures and in visceral areas. The results suggest that the location of experimental sites must be considered when interpreting data which use local temperature as an indicator of microvascular phenomena on the skin surface. Our techniques have proven valuable for quantifying thermal effects on small fields or skin lesions of experimental animals, and can be used noninvasively to measure the onset and transient vascular effects caused by noxious insults including laser radiation.