Touchless Digital Thermometers, The Safer Way To Monitor Your Family's Health
The COVID-19 Pandemic made touchless thermometers such as the LOOKEE® Infrared Thermometers a part of our daily lives - and for a good reason too! These devices have proven to be effective in safely detecting Coronavirus symptoms and are now being used by families to monitor everyday colds and flu.
Traditional Vs. Touchless thermometers
Amidst the ease of lockdown restrictions, standardized temperature checks were authorized by the government in an attempt to control the spread of the Coronavirus. Of course, the use of traditional thermometers was not viable as they required physical contact. Hence, digital, non-contact thermometers became a mandatory device for detecting symptoms of the virus.
But how do the two differ? Contact thermometers measure body temperature through thermal conduction. They usually contain a liquid such as mercury to indicate an increase or decrease in temperature. When heat increases, this liquid will expand in the bulb of the thermometer and move up along a tube. Touchless thermometers differ in that they detect the thermal radiation emitted by the body's surface to measure temperature.
It is important to note that using glass thermometers containing mercury can be hazardous. Should an individual come into contact with the liquid as a result of the glass breaking, medical assistance should be consulted immediately. In comparison, touchless forehead thermometers are virtually risk-free. They are hygienically safer to use as a regular thermometer cannot be shared between two people as it could increase the risk of a cross-infection.
Touchless thermometers also prove to be more efficient in terms of convenience. As many retail stores reopened following a hard COVID-19 lockdown, employees used these devices to rapidly measure the body temperatures of the multiple customers that would walk in. This was done due to non-contact thermometers requiring significantly less time to take readings compared to traditional thermometers.
Are Touchless Thermometers Accurate?
Skepticism around instant-read thermometers arose, questioning how reliable these devices were in accurately measuring body temperature. A study published by the Oxford Academic Journal of Travel Medicine showed that non-contact infrared thermometers (NCIT's) are helpful in detecting fever symptoms, as long as the correct procedures were used when taking readings (i.e., ensuring a proper distance is maintained).
FDA-approved non-contact infrared thermometers have been tried and tested to ensure accuracy. These include the LOOKEE® Infrared Thermometers, built using the latest smart chip + AI algorithm. They offer the highest degree of medical accuracy through advanced sensors to ensure fast, easy, and precise readings while canceling out false or misleading readings.
Suitable for all age groups, our thermometers can measure body temperatures utilizing both contact and non-contact methods. Also used as ideal baby thermometers, the non-contact setting combined with the silent mode is perfect for reading infants without waking them up. Parents can then easily switch to ear readings to ensure more accuracy in older children and adults.
Our devices are able to store previous readings which can be easily accessed. Now, individuals can monitor the overall progression of their temperature, providing an observation of whether a fever is getting better or if it's time to schedule a doctor's appointment.
Reference List:
Infrared Thermometry Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic:
Clinical evaluation of non-contact infrared thermometers:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-99300-1
CROSS-INFECTIONS FROM THERMOMETERS
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/320800
How accurate are forehead thermometers?
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/forehead-thermometer-accuracy
Diagnostic accuracy of non-contact infrared thermometers and thermal scanners: a systematic review and meta-analysis:
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article/27/8/taaa193/5920642?login=true