Viral epidemics like the current coronavirus (COVID-19) create a worldwide demand for fast and efficient infrared cameras able to screen for a fever condition in humans.
Our product portfolio comprises two infrared cameras dedicated to this application:
Xi 400 with T010 range (-20…100 °C)
PI 450i with T010 range (-20…100 °C)
The basis for the effectiveness of thermal cameras as a screening tool lies in the correlation of outside skin surface temperature with internal or core body temperature.
Crowd Based Fever Screening
The IR camera is monitoring a crowd of people at once or sequential. Assuming that the majority of the measured maximum head temperature values are coming from healthy individuals the exceptions with an elevated body temperature can be easily detected.
Individual Fever Screening
This method is mainly used at control gates or where crowd screening is not possible. The Medial Canthus (tear duct) provides the strongest correlation between outside skin temperature and core body temperature and is measured more precisely from a close distance. This method is also best for detecting low grade fevers.
Absolute Temperature Measurement Accuracy
Most infrared cameras with 8-14 μm spectral response are specified with an accuracy of +/- 2 °C or 2 % of the reading based on deployments in industrial environments in a wide variety of ambient conditions from 0 °C to 50 °C.
Many infrared cameras with microbolometer sensors are promoted today with accuracies of +/- 0.5 °C or better. These accuracies cannot be achieved without the use of a black body reference source.