Thermal Camera – COVID-19 Temperature Monitoring

The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus and this pandemic has thrown a huge challenge to national resources and a race to adapt existing and more advanced technologies to innovate and deploy them. The use of Thermal Imaging Cameras has come in limelight, with sales of thermal and infrared imaging security cameras increasing drastically and becoming popular among consumers. Recently, several portable thermal imaging devices are currently being highlighted for their utmost potential to protect employees and each individual in public places. Each has slightly different and advanced capabilities and usage models, but all eventually aim to measure body temperature and alert possible victims infected by the virus using the consequent reading.

Researchers have found various scientific studies that support and prove that certain Telethermographic systems, also known as thermal imaging or thermal screening systems, can be used to measure the surface skin temperature of both objects and individuals. These systems are integrated with an infrared Thermal Camera and sometimes may also have a temperature reference source, all according to consumers’ requirements. These systems are further referred to as thermal imaging security systems. There are two types of Telethermographic systems, one is Thermal imaging systems and the other is non-contact infrared thermometers (NCITs), both use different forms of infrared technology to measure the temperature of an object as well as an individual.

Due to the current situation offices, workplaces, public places like stations or airports and even homes are using these types of security systems to keep themselves safe and secure from the infection by the virus.

Are you a business owner and worried about the spread of COVID-19? To support and win this fight against the novel coronavirus, VMukti is now offering Thermal Security Cameras. Many companies whether big or small, workplaces, private & government offices have already started using thermal cameras at their operations facilities to ease the process of screening employees and workers for high temperatures that may be related to the coronavirus. According to the US Centers for Disease Control, workers or employees with 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius should be immediately sent home and only permitted to return after three days only when the temperature gets normal.

Thermal camera functions while reading heat signatures on people and objects. These systems were traditionally deployed and installed in industrial or military settings but are seeing an industry boom and getting immense popularity since the uptick in containing the covid virus initiated. In comparison to the traditional way of measuring body temperature like a forehead thermometer or using a hand thermometer, thermal screening security cameras will significantly improve the speed of testing and even provide more accurate details. At the same time, deploying thermal imaging security cameras can help reduce cross-infection because the measurements take place through contactless screening. For instance, it would take an average of 4.2 hours to measure the temperature of 5,000 people using forehead or hand thermometers–at 3 or even more seconds per person. In contrast, it would only take 30 minutes or even less to measure the same amount of people using thermal imaging cameras–that means an average of 3 people would have their temperature recorded every second and that’s a wow factor.

VMukti’s vision on thermal imaging cameras-

VMukti Thermal imaging cameras provide an ideal and reliable solution for high-temperature detection during these covid-19 outbreaks pandemic. It even eliminates the risks involved in direct physical contact for measuring the temperature of each individual and ensures the safety of your people and surroundings. These security cameras are powered by advanced AI technology with body temperature measurement algorithms to maximize the efficiency of your deployed security systems. Thermal Camera for Body Temperature Measurement can help you to capture accurate details and detect any individuals infected by COVID-19, flu, or any other infections or disease which manifests with features of increased temperature screening. These thermal camera scanners can monitor a large group of people even in the queue at a single time and can pick out people with high temperatures in crowds by giving alerts. Utilize this advanced thermal technology to its maximum potential and discover the efficiency of VMukti thermal screening cameras by incorporating them as a part of your security system to ensure safe and secure premises.

Stop the spread of covid-19 by taking simple steps through efficient and contact-less screening.

• Body temperature measurement
• Mask detection alert
• Face recognition system
• Flexible installation and mounting options
• AI and ML-based working
• Contactless screening of individual
• Record maintenance of employees and visitors
• Ensures complete safety for disabled peoples

Thermal screening systems and Covid-19

• When used correctly, thermal screening systems generally have been proved to accurately measure an individual’s surface temperature without being physically close to the person being evaluated by enhancing contactless screening. Thermal imaging systems offer specific benefits because other methods need closer proximity or contact temperature measurement, like for example, non-contact infrared thermometers or oral thermometers.
• Temperature-based screening, such as thermal imaging, is not effective to confirm that a certain individual is infected by covid-19, it only alerts of high temperatures. A proper diagnostic test by physicians must be performed to determine if someone has COVID-19.
• Thermal imaging security systems have also been shown to be accurate and effective when used to measure the temperature of multiple people at the same time. The accuracy of these systems mostly depends on careful set-up and operation, as well as proper preparation of the individual being evaluated.
• Thermal screening systems have been used by several countries during epidemics or pandemics, although information about their efficiency as part of efforts to decrease the spread of the disease has helped several folds.
• The FDA also issued the Enforcement Policy for Telethermographic Systems during the Coronavirus Disease in the year 2019 (COVID-19), for the Public Health Emergency guidance to help in the expansion of the availability of thermal screening systems and mitigate thermometer shortages during the public health emergency I several countries. The guidelines set forth an enforcement policy that was intended to apply to all thermal imaging systems that are intended for medical purposes for the duration of the health emergency related to COVID-19 and provide recommendations regarding the operations and labeling of such systems.

Major benefits of thermal security camera

• The person or official who handles the thermal imaging camera system does not at all required to be physically close or in any contact with the person being evaluated. The person who handles the thermal imaging system could be in a different area or room or space and can monitor from there.
• The thermal camera security system measures the surface skin temperature of an individual and also objects faster than the typical forehead or oral (mouth) or hand thermometer that requires a close distance or physical contact with the individual being evaluated.
• Scientific studies prove that, when used correctly, thermal camera security systems generally measure surface skin temperature accurately and efficiently.

Proper usage of thermal security cameras

The person or official who handles the complete system should follow all manufacturer instructions and read the guidebook thoroughly to make sure the system is set up properly and located at an ideal place where it can measure surface temperature accurately and efficiently. The person who handles the whole system should be effectively trained to properly prepare both the location where the system will be used and the individual who is being evaluated, to increase the measurement accuracy. For details, the respective person can also see the standards and scientific papers for reference.

Using the thermal imaging camera

• Measure only a single person’s or objects’ surface temperature at a time.
• Position the individual or object at a fixed distance, for this, you can follow the guidebook of the respective system by VMukti. The distance should be from the thermal imaging system, directly facing the camera.
• The image area should include the individual’s whole face and the calibrated black body if you’re using one.
• If an increase or rise in temperature is seen using the thermal imaging system, you should immediately get alerted and send the respective person home or to the hospital for further examination. Public health officials can only help you determine if the fever is a sign of infection or any disease.

Thermal camera systems have proven as an efficient and reliable system to help reduce the spread of any kind of infection.

Thermal cameras – a boon to covid-19 detection

• The main advantage of such monitoring systems is that it doesn’t require the person handling the equipment to be close to the person being evaluated. This nullifies the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) or OSHA for the person handling the equipment.
• The accuracy of such cameras is much higher than the usual oral thermometers which require the person handling the equipment to be in close contact with the person being evaluated. Also, they measure the surface skin temperature faster than the usual thermometers.
• These can be used to screen a large number of people at any place at any time.
• Colour and sound alarms are activated whenever a temperature above the normal body temperature is sensed.
• These are easy to use.