Flash thermometer is a type of non-contact thermometer. Discover how it works and its advantages.

A flash thermometer is a type of electronic thermometer that works using infrared technology and allows you to take the temperature remotely (without contact). It is commonly used by doctors and surely you have seen this thermometer during temperature checks at airports during the Covid-19 pandemic. It has the advantage of being very fast (temperature indicated in less than a second), simple and hygienic (it does not require any disinfection before or after use).

Composition

The flash thermometer is shaped like a “gun or” or “barcode reader”. It has an LCD screen, an infrared lens, a menu button, a measurement button and a battery compartment.

The flash thermometer system measures the temporal artery. It therefore allows a non-contact temperature setting, about 5 cm from the forehead. It can also be used to indicate ambient temperatures such as that of a room, bath or bottle or other food (with a set mode). It has the advantage of memorizing the last 32 temperature measurements.

Infrared technology

This device can measure body or ambient temperature in a fraction of a second using an infrared system. Each body, solid, liquid or gas, has the property of emitting energy by radiation, with an intensity which depends on its temperature. The infrared thermometer measures a person’s temperature by sensing infrared heat emitted by arterial blood flow.

Public concerned or at risk

The flash thermometer can be used by healthcare professionals, in public places (temperature screening in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic), and for home use to take a temperature measurement in adults , the child or the baby. It is also suitable for the elderly and people with reduced mobility.

Aim at the forehead, right temporal side, about 5 cm away, squeeze the measuring trigger, located at the front of the handle. The temperature, signaled by a beep, is instantly displayed on the LCD screen.

When to use it?

The flash thermometer is a quick and convenient way to get an indication of the temperature. The fact that it does not require contact makes it a good tool for monitoring the body temperature of children even when they are sleeping. It is also very useful for detecting if a person has a fever during checks (such as those carried out in public places during the Covid-19 pandemic).

Precautions to take

Before taking the temperature with a flash thermometer, be sure to part the hair from the forehead and wipe the sweat off that area to get an accurate result. Avoid air flow, for example oxygen goggles or air conditioning. If you change the environment and there is a large difference in ambient temperature, leave the thermometer to flash at that ambient temperature for at least 15 to 20 minutes before using it.

Know that it is advisable to respect a delay of 1 minute between two catches.

First non-contact thermometer

Thermoflash® is the first non-contact thermometer. It was developed by the Visiomed group in 2007. Today there are other flash thermometers.

Flash thermometer options

You can find flash thermometers with voice function available in 6 languages. Some models offer a color diagnostic screen (green: when the temperature is good, orange: when the temperature is above normal and red: when there is a fever) or a sound system which indicates to you by a “Beep” if you have a fever.

The price of flash thermometers

The cost of flash thermometers is quite high. On average, it takes between 40 and 90 €.