'' method for assessing the potential for patient injury or pressure discomfort caused by the object on the patient and method for assessing the potential for patient discomfort caused by the patient interface device on the patient
A method of evaluating potential for discomfort of a patient (2) caused by an object (4) on the patient. The method includes acquiring (6) a first thermal image (20；40) of the patient, and wearing the object for a predetermined time. The object is removed and a plurality of thermal images (16, 24, 26, 28, 30, 44, 46, 48, 50) of the patient are acquired at predetermined times. The potential for a pressure sore or discomfort is evaluated (12) based upon at least one of the time (17) needed for one of the plurality of thermal images of the patient to return to the first thermal image, size (18) of a number of areas of an epidermis having a temperature change (19) between acquiring the first thermal image and acquiring a first one of the thermal images, and the temperature change.
