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Statistical Study on Human Temperature Measurement by Infrared Thermography.
Michal Švantner1, Vladislav Lang1, Jiří Skála1
1New Technologies-Research Centre, University of West Bohemia, 301 00 Pilsen, Czech Republic.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 11, 2022
Summary
Infrared thermography for human temperature measurement shows limitations. Maximum eye temperature measurements are more reliable than forehead measurements, despite potential outliers and variations.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Biophysics
- Statistical Analysis
Background:
- Elevated human body temperature is a key indicator of infectious diseases, making accurate measurement crucial for diagnosis.
- Non-contact infrared thermography offers advantages in speed and safety for temperature assessment.
- Previous applications of infrared thermography in medicine highlight its potential but also necessitate understanding its limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To statistically evaluate the accuracy and limitations of infrared/thermographic human temperature measurement.
- To compare the reliability of eye temperature versus forehead temperature measurements using thermography.
- To provide a comprehensive analysis of thermography's diagnostic utility in fever detection.
Main Methods:
- Conducting experiments under near-ideal conditions with permanent blackbody correction.
- Performing statistical analysis on thermographic measurements, including standard deviation and mean differences.
- Utilizing simulations for true negative/false positive rates, sensitivity/specificity, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.
Main Results:
- Standard deviation for maximum eye temperature measurements ranged from 0.4-0.9 °C.
- Mean differences between thermographic eye temperature and armpit measurements were up to 0.5 °C.
- Outliers were observed, indicating a need for careful interpretation of thermographic data.
Conclusions:
- Maximum eye temperature measured via thermography is a more relevant indicator than forehead temperature.
- While promising, infrared thermography requires careful consideration of its inherent limitations and potential for outliers.
- Further statistical validation is essential for widespread clinical adoption of thermographic fever screening.
Keywords:
body temperatureemerging diseasesfever screeninghuman temperatureinfection controlinfectious diseasesinfrared thermographymedical thermographythermal imagingthermographic measurementMore Related Videos
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