ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of infrared thermography for measuring body temperature. We compared a commercially available infrared thermal imaging camera (FLIR One) with a medical-grade oral thermometer (Welch-Allyn) as a gold standard. Measurements using the thermal imaging camera were taken from both a short distance (10cm) and long distance (50cm) from the subject. Thirty young healthy adults participated in a study that manipulated body temperature. After establishing a baseline, participants lowered their body temperature by placing their feet in a cold-water bath for 30 minutes while consuming cold water. Feet were then removed and covered with a blanket for 30 minutes as body temperature returned to baseline. During the course of the 70-minute experiment, body temperature was recorded at a 10-minute interval. The thermal imaging camera demonstrated a significant temperature difference from the gold standard from both close range (mean error: +0.433°C) and long range (mean error: +0.522°C). Despite demonstrating potential as a fast and non-invasive method for temperature screening, our results indicate that infrared thermography does not provide an accurate measurement of body temperature. As a result, infrared thermography is not recommended for use as a fever screening device. © COPYRIGHT SPIE. Downloading of the is permitted for personal use only.