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. 2024 Apr 11;24(8):2447.
doi: 10.3390/s24082447.

Thermal Imaging of the Tongue Surface as a Predictive Method in the Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Daria Wziątek-Kuczmik  1 , Antoni Świątkowski  1 , Armand Cholewka  2 , Aleksandra Mrowiec  2 , Iwona Niedzielska  1 , Agata Stanek  3
Affiliations

Thermal Imaging of the Tongue Surface as a Predictive Method in the Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Daria Wziątek-Kuczmik et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

Over the past 20 years, the high prevalence of diabetes has become a global public health problem.

Background: The objective of this study was to develop a non-invasive screening method for diabetes which will enable the detection of the disease at an early stage.

Methods: This study included 63 adult patients of both sexes: 30 patients with type 2 diabetes (t2DM) and 33 healthy volunteers. The temperature distribution on the tongue's dorsum and apex surface was studied in patients after a mouth-cooling procedure had been introduced. The study used an FLIR T540 thermal imaging camera. An analysis of the correlation between the ∆T values of the tongue dorsum and apex and the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level was performed.

Results: The median of the average dorsum temperature measured 10 min after mouth rinsing was almost 0.8 [°C] lower than for healthy individuals. Also, studies showed a positive average correlation with a Pearson coefficient of r = 0.46 between the HbA1c level and the ∆T of the tongue dorsum.

Conclusions: Tongue temperature measured using the IRT showed a correlation with standard biochemical parameters; it may also differentiate patients and constitute a specific screening method for patients with t2DM.

Keywords: dynamic infrared thermal image; glycated hemoglobin level; imaging method; tongue; tongue temperature; type 2 diabetes mellitus.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Thermal images of a representative patient (from the diabetes group) obtained 2 and 10 min after mouth rinsing.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Thermal images of a representative healthy volunteer (from the control group) obtained 2 and 10 min after mouth rinsing.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean temperature difference in tongue dorsum between control (C) and study groups (D—diabetes), obtained 10 min after rinsing the mouth with water.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Temperature difference of tongue dorsum for control (C) and study groups (D—diabetes) obtained between 2 and 10 min after rinsing the mouth with water.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Correlations (r = 0.46) between the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) concentration and the difference in the tongue dorsum temperature between 2 and 10 min after rinsing the mouth.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Correlations between the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) concentration and the difference in tongue apex temperature between 2 and 10 min after rinsing the mouth.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Temperature difference of tongue dorsum for patient group, characterized and divided according to HbA1c level, assuming L < 7% and H ≥ 7%, obtained between 2 and 10 min after rinsing mouth with water.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Temperature difference of tongue apex for patient group, characterized and divided according to HbA1c level, assuming L < 7% and H ≥ 7%, obtained between 2 and 10 min after rinsing mouth with water.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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