One of the symptoms that COVID-19 presents is the increase in human body temperature, that is, fever. For this reason, one of the measures being used to control the pandemic and detect possible infections is the measurement of body temperature. The technology allows devices such as cameras to control body temperature, which facilitate the measurement of temperature for groups of people, and which are being used by multiple organizations, healthcare entities and companies.
Next, we will see what a thermal imager is, how it works, what types exist and for which businesses its use is recommended.
What are thermal imaging cameras?
Thermal imaging cameras are devices whose objective is to measure the temperature without the need for contact. They are usually used in the industrial sector to detect temperature variations and to be able to control and modify it.
In the healthcare sector they are used to measure human temperature without having to touch the patient. These cameras are capable of analyzing, with a high degree of precision, the body temperature of people, facilitating the immediate detection of feverish pictures.
How do thermal imaging cameras work?
The use of different types of thermal imaging cameras in the healthcare sector for diagnosis dates back more than 40 years, and over time they have become more sophisticated with the use of advanced algorithms and artificial intelligence.
Thermal imaging cameras that are used to measure people’s body temperatures work as follows.
- They capture the thermal emission of objects in the infrared spectrum range to detect heat sources and measure their temperature.
- They make use of advanced algorithms to measure the temperature with a high degree of precision, reaching an accuracy of +/- 0.3ºC with the use of a calibrating device called “black body” that is maintained at a constant temperature for what has a fixed and known thermal emissivity
- They incorporate artificial intelligence for facial detection, which allows each individual to be identified to measure their temperature, and to recognize objects that may be external heat sources, such as cigarettes or drinks.
- They allow saving images of the analyzed people.
- They have an alarm system that warns of cases where the person has a fever.
El uso de los distingos tipos de cámaras termográficas en el sector sanitario para el diagnóstico se remonta a hace más de 40 años, y con el paso de tiempo se han ido sofisticando con el uso de algoritmos avanzados e inteligencia artificial.
Thermal imaging cameras are capable of measuring the energy radiated by bodies, and from them calculate their temperature. They assign to each temperature a color strip (according to a preselected palette) where the red color usually represents the temperature from which fever begins to be considered. Thus, the temperature presented by any person standing in front of the camera and a few meters from it can be detected immediately.
What are the types of thermal imaging cameras?
It is possible to find different uses and types of thermal imaging cameras that adapt to different situations or specific needs. We can divide these devices into:
Thermal Imaging Cameras
It is a camera or set of cameras that can detect the body temperature of different people thanks to the use of artificial intelligence. They have a visual and audible alarm to warn those who present a feverish state, and can have great precision, reaching an error of just +/- 0.3 ºC).
Control of these types of devices can be done through a monitor or by accessing through a digital platform from a computer or mobile device. Taking into account the density of human trafficking that these cameras monitor, they can be divided into:
- High traffic density. These are solutions designed for places where there is a large influx of people and that allow them to be analyzed four by four, generating alarms in the event of a feverish state, all through an automated process.
- Medium traffic density. Portable temperature measurement solutions are usually included in this group, which require manual operation for their use (although they may also have automatic fever detection).
- Low traffic density. These types of devices are ideal for those establishments, areas or cases, where the traffic of people is low. These are cheaper devices and can be both portable and stationary, and include automated fever detection.
Temperature measurement totem
These devices can be easily installed anywhere in a room or establishment and allow people to measure their temperature by approaching two meters from it. It includes facial recognition and has high precision, with an error of +/- 0.5 ºC.
The temperature measurement totem does not need any installation or configuration action necessary for its use. You only need to plug in and it will be ready for use (plug and play).
For which businesses is it advisable to use thermal imaging cameras
The use of COVID-19 thermal imaging cameras is becoming essential in crowded public spaces and in sectors such as food, health or security. However, they are recommended in any type of company, since in a simple and automated way they can detect cases of people with fever and be able to act accordingly (informing them to go to a health center to take a COVID-19 test and preventing them from contact other people, to eliminate the risk of contagion).
These types of solutions will last over time, and will be necessary in the future to control other possible cases of viruses similar to COVID-19 that may appear in the coming years. That is why it is an investment in security (both for the company, employees and customers) that will serve both in the current state, as well as a preventive measure for the future.
It is necessary to use all the technological capacity to fight against this new and unknown virus, which is contagious in asymptomatic people, so it is spread quickly and silently. Being able to detect who has a fever without the need for contact is a great advantage, and it is possible to do it with the installation of systems with thermal imaging cameras. These are devices capable of detecting thermal changes, measuring the temperature with great precision and using artificial intelligence to detect people and their body temperatures, alerting them if they have a fever.
The best solution to install a temperature detection kit is to go to a specialized engineering company that has experience in the sector and can implement the ideal system for each business.
The kits have been designed for quick assembly and disassembly and even so that it is possible to easily modify their location, if it is necessary to adapt or modify the configuration of access routes due to variations in the flow of people as activity is reactivated after the measurements current confinement. Thermal imaging types are essential for this.
