Skin dynamic termography supplemented by a mathematical model is presented as an objective and sensitive indicator of the skin prick test result. Termographic measurements were performed simultaneously with routine skin prick tests. The IR images were acquired every 70 s up to 910 s after skin prick. In the model histamine is treated as the principal mediator of the allergic reaction. Histamine produces vasolidation and the engorged vessels are responsible for an increase in skin temperature. The model parameters were determined by fitting the analytical solutions to the spatio-temporal distributions of the differences between measured and baseline temperatures. The model reproduces experimental data very well (coefficient of determination = 0.805÷0.995). The method offers a set of parameters to describe separately skin allergic reaction and skin reactivity. The release of histamine after allergen injection is the best indicator of allergic response. The diagnostic parameter better correlates with the standard evaluation of a skin prick test (correlation coefficient = 0.98) than the result of the thermographic planimetric method based on temperature and heated area determination (0.81). The high sensitivity of the method allows for determination of the allergic response in patients with the reduced skin reactivity.

In the study, particle size distribution of the MIEX® resin was presented. Such analyses enable to determinate whether presence of fine resin fraction may be the reason for unfavorable membrane blocking during water purification by the hybrid MIEX®DOC – microfiltration/ultrafiltration systems. Granulometric analysis of resin grains using the laser diffraction particle size analyzer (laser granulometer) was carried out as well as the microscopic analysis with scanning electron microscope. The following samples were analyzed: samples of fresh resin (a fresh resin – not used in water treatment processes) and samples of repeatedly used/regenerated resin that were collected to analysis during mixing and after sedimentation process. Particle size distribution was slightly different for fresh resin and for repeatedly used/regenerated resin. The grains sizes of fresh resin reached approximately 60 μm (d10), 120 μm (d50) and 220 μm (d90). Whereas the sizes of repeatedly used/regenerated resin were about 15 μm (d10), 40 μm (d50) and 115-130 μm (d90). The smallest resin grains sizes were in the range of 0.3-0.45 μm. This ensures that the ultrafiltration membranes retain all resin grains, even the smallest ones. Whereas the microfiltration membranes must be appropriately selected to guarantee full separation of the resin grains and at the same time to exclude a membrane pores blocking.