Patent ID: 8663108

Claim:
A method for a rapid and passive identification of changes in a number of open sweat pores in the skin of an individual, comprising: disposing a thermal camera at a predetermined location; focusing the thermal camera on at least a portion of a predetermined skin surface of the individual so as to provide a thermal image without contacting the individual; displaying the thermal image to enable real time viewing of the sweat pores on the portion of the predetermined skin surface; visually identifying a baseline number of open sweat pores imaged on the thermal image of the portion of the predetermined skin surface prior to a stimulus; interviewing the individual by presenting a stimulus; visually identifying an opening of sweat pores imaged on the thermal image of the portion of the predetermined skin surface in response to the stimulus, wherein said response is a stress response characterized by a first maximal peak response followed by a second peak response; numerically counting the identified opening of sweat pores imaged on the thermal image for about 20 seconds following the stimulus to compute a threshold determination of stress response, wherein an event marker is provided to selectively identify the imaged opening of sweat pores; and determining a threshold stress response based on the numerical count of the identified opening of sweat pores exceeding the baseline number of open sweat pores by a margin of 40 percent.