| Installation of our
new infrared imaging system now provides greater resolution and sensitivity. The recently
installed unit features an upgraded hardware and software system that make it easier to do
thermographic projects and provide for greater accuracy and reproducibility. The new
system has a heightened sensitivity which allows it to read to 0.01o C as compared to
0.10o C for the previous equipment. Modifications to the software permit the calculation
of bilateral temperature differences on screen as well as to preselect the size of the
area of thermal interest and store the "temperature area" for future work. The
ability to select and store "temperature areas" means that whether evaluations
are done on a daily or weekly basis the area of thermographic interest will remain
constant throughout. In addition the system has a windows program, that makes it possible
to see several different areas on the same screen, and an increased color scale of as many
as 110 colors making for even more vivid photographic documentation. Further, with an
optical disc storage system there can no longer be any question about the restoration of
data in the exact format as was originally recorded. The areas of current research interest continue to focus on
evaluating the irritation potential of surfactant systems (poster presented at recent AAD
meetings in Atlanta and reprint available), steroids, verification of product
substantivity and shaving systems (blades and creams/gels). In addition IRSI has developed
a protocol to demonstrate the activity of encapsulated delivery system. Finally, our in
house research leads us to believe that thermography may be a means of quantitating hair
care products because we have been able to show that combing increases the temperature of
the hair; therefore, if one were to treat one side with a conditioner the comb drag and
temperature should be lower than a non treated side and there may be visible and
quantifiable differences between various treatments. I
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