Infrared thermometer

A non-contact infrared thermometer is useful for measuring temperature under circumstances where thermocouples or other probe-type sensors cannot be used or do not produce accurate data for a variety of reasons.

At times of epidemics of diseases causing fever, such as SARS coronavirus and Ebola virus disease, infrared thermometers have been used to check arriving travelers for fever without causing harmful transmissions among the tested.

[1][2] In 2020 when COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, infrared thermometers were used to measure people's temperature and deny them entry to potential transmission sites if they showed signs of fever.

Public health authorities such as the FDA in United States published rules to assure accuracy and consistency among the infrared thermometers.

Measurement error generally only decreases with too much distance because of the effects of reflectivity and the inclusion of other heat sources within the sensor's field of view.

A non-adjustable thermometer may be used to measure the temperature of a reflective surface by applying a non-reflective paint or tape, with some loss of accuracy.

The actual angular area being measured varies among instruments and is not restricted to the visible spot.

This technology is more processor- and software-intensive than spot or scanning thermometers, and is used for monitoring large areas.