As with any new product, we need to make sure it will stand up to our high standards of quality, durability, and accuracy. This is especially important when businesses are trusting this terminal to help them reopen their doors and foster a safe environment. So the big question today is, How accurate is the temperature reading of the Temperature Screening Terminal?
The Facts
Thermal Temperature Scanning:
Thermal scanning is a trusted and widely used method of measuring body temperature. It is pretty accurate, but due to the distance between the person and the thermal scanner, not as precise as an internally taken temperature. Distance and the environment the scanner is in can influence the temperature it reads.
The terminals are calibrated using blackbody radiation, an accurate and trusted method used for years, to make sure they are reading the most accurate temperature possible. However, due to the influence of distance and environment, they can experience a variance up to .9 degrees Fahrenheit, in rare cases. These influences are true for all thermal temperature readers.
The Human Body:
Believe it or not, people are different temperatures. The classic 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is an average of everyone’s temperature, and it was established in the mid 1800’s.
“But newer studies suggest the average person today actually runs a little cooler than that – somewhere between 97.5 F and 97.9 F.” In fact, anything between 97 and 99 is considered normal. -ClevlandClinic.org
For Example, Denise takes her temperature regularly and knows when she is healthy, she is always around 97.3. John does the same and knows his healthy temperature is always around 98.8.
The Test
We ran a test with 14 individuals. The goal was to understand the accuracy of the temperature screening terminal versus an FDA approved handheld thermal forehead thermometer. We chose this because the terminal threshold temperature can be adjusted
To reduce variables, we stood the recommended 30 inches away from the terminal and took our temperatures with the handheld unit at the same time but from the recommended 3-5 inches away. We did this a few times.
The Results
The results were interesting but also expected. The terminal recorded an average temperature of 97.3 while the closer handheld unit registered an average temperature of 97.69. The difference is a slim 0.39 degrees. These results are well within the accepted body temperature of a healthy adult and were perhaps slightly lower than if we had taken everyone’s temperature internally, due to the nature of thermal thermometers. Still very accurate, well within the communicated .9 degrees of possible variance and consistent between tests. This is an accurate source of thermal temperature scanning.
Our Recommendation
The temperature screening terminal can be trusted due to its accurate calibration and approved field tests, much more than just our own. If you want the best results, we recommend using it in a temperature-controlled area, stand between 20-30 inches away, and set your temperature threshold wisely.
The real question is, knowing that thermal scanners read slightly lower than internal thermometers and the human body’s accepted healthy temperature is between 97 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit, what temperature would you want to recommend someone not enter the facility and get further testing?
If you would like to re-calibrate your terminal due to environmental changes, go to the Settings Screen -> Temperature Detection Settings -> Compensation temperature. The factory default value is ±0.0 C for normal conditions. Verify the temperature using an FDA approved (handheld) thermal forehead thermometer and adjust the compensation level in the terminal settings to calibrate.
This product cannot replace a doctor’s temperature reading or further tests, but it is an accurate first line of defense against sickness and viruses in your workspace.
