Infrared thermometers can be used to measure body temperatures from up to 15 centimeters away from the target zone and provide results in less than half a second. Infrared cameras measure the temperature of every pixel of the thermal image. They can do this from more than 3 meters away, making screens safe and sanitary.

ICI’s non-contact thermometers have a margin of error of ±.3 °C on skin surface temperature screenings. Infrared thermometers read the surface temperature of a target — not the internal temperature. This means that for skin temperature detection, an infrared thermometer can catch if someone has an elevated skin temperature, though this doesn’t necessarily indicate a fever.

To properly use a non-contact infrared thermometer to scan body temperature, stand 5 – 15 centimeters away from your target. Power on the device and point it at the inside corner of the patient’s eye, holding still. The temperature reading will display within 1 second. Many devices, such as ICI’s HotSpot IR, are battery-powered. You can set an alarm to sound when a temperature reading is abnormally high. ICI’s infrared thermometer powers off automatically and lets you choose between Celsius and Fahrenheit for readings.

The best place to measure temperature from is the inner canthus of the eye — right in the inner corner. This is the hottest part of the human face.

We recommend a thermal camera for temperature screening. Imagine having the power to see the temperature of thousands of spots (or pixels) rather than just a single spot. This is the difference between a thermal imager vs. an infrared thermometer.

For elevated temperature screening, access to this information is critical. If an operator misuses an infrared thermometer and points the device at a person’s forehead instead of the inside corner of the eye, the result will be a lower temperature. This could create a false negative if someone actually does have an elevated temperature. With a thermal imager, you see the whole picture and the temperature of every single part of a person’s face. Additionally, a red light/green light signaling system makes it incredibly easy to tell if someone has an elevated temperature.