There had been an increased need for infrared thermometer in Nigeria by customers, this is due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the fact that a Nigeria died due to the outbreak.

First African, Nigerian death

African nations Nigeria and Zimbabwe reported first COVID-19 or novel coronavirus deaths on Monday.

“The 1st #COVID19 death in Nigeria has been recorded,” the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), tweeted on Monday. “The case was a 67-year-old male who returned home following medical treatment in the U.K.,” the NCDC added.

According to John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre Nigeria has so far reported 36. Out of them two patients have recovered.

The fact that this virus was only known and thereby joked about is a pointer to the unseriousness placed on the apparent danger of this pandemic. Every home, every company and every individual now wants a non-contact thermometer as known as infrared thermometer. In this write-up I will like to do a quick education on why the non contact thermometer is important and why it does not currently have an alternative.

How does Infrared Thermometer work:

Infrared thermometers measure temperature from a distance. This distance can be many miles or a fraction of an inch. Infrared thermometers are often used in circumstances when other sorts of thermometers are not practical. If an object is very fragile or dangerous to be near, for example, an infrared thermometer is a good way to get a temperature from a safe distance.

The nameplate on the infrared thermometer usually have the measurement range, when you buy be careful to know this range and use it within the range to get accurate readings.

What Infrared Thermometers Do

Infrared thermometers work based on a phenomenon called black body radiation. Anything at a temperature above absolute zero has molecules inside of it moving around. The higher the temperature, the faster the molecules move. As they move, the molecules emit infrared radiation--a type of electromagnetic radiation below the visible spectrum of light. As they get hotter, they emit more infrared, and even start to emit visible light. That is why heated metal can glow red or even white. Infrared thermometers detect and measure this radiation.

How Infrared Thermometers Work

Infrared light works like visible light--it can be focused, reflected or absorbed. Infrared thermometers usually use a lens to focus infrared light from one object onto a detector called a thermopile. The thermopile absorbs the infrared radiation and turns it into heat. The more infrared energy, the hotter the thermopile gets. This heat is turned into electricity. The electricity is sent to a detector, which uses it to determine the temperature of whatever the thermometer is pointed at. The more electricity, the hotter the object is.

infrared Thermometer Uses

Ear thermometers are infrared thermometers. The ear drum has about the same temperature as the inside of the body, but it is very sensitive. Touching the ear drum could damage it, so an infrared thermometer measures its temperature from close by--less than an inch away. Infrared thermometers are also used by fire fighters to detect "hot spots" where the fire is burning fiercely. They are even used in manufacturing. Infrared thermometers can help control the machines that put together delicate, temperature sensitive products like electronics to make sure the components are not accidentally damaged.

Infrared thermometers (IR) are effective tools in commercial kitchens and industrial applications. They are very fast (instantaneous), provide a good indication of temperature and allow users to collect data at a distance. As more and more professionals learn how to effectively use IR thermometers, many are finding that the benefits of IR technology extend far beyond the confines of the office, job site and restaurant kitchen. In fact, infrared thermometers can be invaluable tools to have in the home.

Here are a few ways infrared thermometers can make your life easier:

Around the house - The Kitchen

While infrared thermometers are ideal for performing quick spot checks of hot and cold holding stations and buffet lines in restaurants, they are also helpful in a home kitchen. Soups, sauces and other liquids can be checked with an infrared thermometer. Simply pull a ladle full of liquid up from the bottom of the pot before taking a measurement. Doing so will allow you to closely approximate the temperature of the whole batch. Whether it’s a first time batch of soup, or leftovers that are being reheated, you need to be sure to bring the liquid up to 165°F for at least 15 seconds before it’s ready to eat.

IR thermometers are also perfect for measuring semi-solids like stuffing, corn or mashed potatoes, and ensuring that they’ve reached a temperature high enough to have sufficiently killed off any bacteria present. Insert a spoon into the center of the material, pull it back to create a void and immediately point your infrared thermometer into the void. A minimum temperature of 165°F should be reached before the food is considered ready to eat.

A quick point-and-shoot with an infrared thermometer will let you know when a skillet, pan, or pot has come to temperature (500°F), allowing you to create a perfect sear on steaks, roasts or chops. Infrared thermometers are ideal for recording fryer oil temperature (350°F), giving you the ability to perfectly gauge when your batter-dipped chicken is ready to fry.

Around the House

Used properly, an infrared thermometer is the perfect tool for helping you shore up air leaks and address poorly insulated areas around the house. A simple way to determine if more insulation is needed is to compare the inside temperature of an exterior wall verses an interior wall in the same room using an infrared thermometer. If the difference is large, with several degrees between the two, the wall doesn’t have enough insulation and could most likely use a little more.

Also, an infrared thermometer can be used to detect air leaks. Air infiltration around doors, windows and other areas is a major energy waste. If cold areas or a cool draft exist near doors or windows, heat is being lost. An infrared thermometer can help you identify temperature differences and help you know which areas to investigate to determine the cause of the difference.

A strategically pointed IR thermometer can also quickly alert you to heating and cooling problems with your furnace/air conditioner. Locate the air intake, which can be located in the ceiling, base of the wall, or occasionally the floor. Compare the temperature of the air entering your air conditioner with the temperature of the air coming our of the vent (taking into account your thermostat setting) and you’ll have a good idea whether or not your unit is heating or cooling properly.

In the Garage

One of the benefits of using an IR thermometer is the ability to take temperature readings at a distance. When you’re elbow-deep in a car engine and are having a hard time navigating belts, hoses and wires, an infrared thermometer might be just what you need. An invaluable diagnostic tool, an infrared thermometer is great for helping you pin down problems on a wide variety of vehicle systems, including cooling systems, HVAC, transmission, brake systems, bearings, cv joints, catalytic converters, engine misfires, tires and alignment, rear differential, under hood thermal mapping and intake air temperature regulation.

In the Backyard

Finally, having an infrared thermometer lying around the house is a great way to protect you and your family in the backyard. Sure an IR thermometer is great for gauging the temperature of your grill grates right before you land a thick porterhouse, or filet mignon, but more than that, an infrared thermometer can help parents protect their children from serious burn injuries caused by hot surfaces on playground equipment.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises parents to check for hot surfaces prior to allowing their children play (or sit) on slides, swings, or steps. Decks, slides and steps in direct sunlight may reach temperatures high enough to cause serious contact-burn injuries in a matter of seconds. A quick read from an IR thermometer can alert you of surfaces that may be too hot for your young ones to play on.

When taking temperature readings on shiny metal surfaces take into account the possibility of inaccurate readings caused by the reflective surfaces low emissivity. A simple solution is to put a piece of masking tape over shinier surfaces and use the tape as your target for taking a correct reading.

As infrared thermometer technology becomes more advanced and affordable, there’s no excuse why every homeowner shouldn’t have one (or two) in his or her tool box. They are fast, accurate and adaptable to most home-user applications.

Medical Use of Infrared Thermometer

Body temperature can be measured in a number of ways. Traditionally, body temperature has been measured using contact thermometers that are placed on the forehead or in the mouth, ear, armpit or rectum. For children in particular, rectal temperature measurement is often considered to be the gold standard. Non-contact thermometers allow a person’s temperature to be taken with minimal (tympanic) or no (Non-contact infrared thermometer [NCIT], thermal scanner) contact with the person. This means temperature can be measured without the discomfort of having to sit still with a thermometer in the mouth, armpit, or rectum long enough to obtain a correct temperature reading. The lack of contact also means the disinfection process between patients for the thermometers is minimal or unnecessary, allowing for easier and faster use when screening large numbers of people in settings like airports or border crossings.

Current Practice and Advantages over Existing Technology

Temperature is one of the vital signs used by clinicians, parents and carers to assess children during acute illness episodes. It is measured using electronic contact thermometers (rectal, oral, axillary), chemical thermometers (axillary, forehead) or infrared thermometers (tympanic, temporal artery). Mercury-in-glass thermometers are no longer used in the European Union (1) and have not been available for purchase in the UK since April 2009 (2).

Although rectal thermometry is considered to be the most reliable method of measuring temperature in babies and young children (3), the procedure is poorly tolerated, since the thermometer is inserted just over 1 cm into the rectum and left in situ for approximately 10 seconds (4). Some children also find oral temperature measurements uncomfortable or painful (5). To measure oral temperature, the thermometer should be inserted under the tongue and the child’s mouth kept closed for around 20 seconds (4).

The Infrared Thermometer advantage over traditional methods

Non-contact infrared thermometers (NCITs) can be used to measure temperature rapidly and non-invasively, potentially causing less distress to children than conventional methods. Like infrared tympanic thermometers, NCITs can provide temperature readings within seconds. Most NCITs measure temperature over the central forehead area, but temperature over other body surfaces may also be measured if the child’s forehead is perspiring or if the child is moving. NCITs can also measure children’s temperature while they are sleeping. Since the use of NCITs does not involve any body surface contact, the risk of cross-infection is negligible and neither disinfection nor disposable probe covers are needed.

Details of Technology:

Most Thermal thermometers have received FDA and CE approval for use in clinical settings. The manufacturers recommend that temperature should be measured over body surfaces which are not perspiring or covered by hair in a draft-free room at a constant temperature between 16°C and 40°C.

The most basic model we have in our online shop is the , which can be used to measure temperature by holding the thermometer over the central forehead. Thermometers in the Infrared thermometers series can also be used to measure temperature over other areas of the body, including the neck, umbilicus and axilla.

Temperature measurements are obtained by holding the thermometer approximately 3 cm from the body surface. An LED system emits two tracker light beams, which converge to form a single red spot at the correct measurement distance. The thermometer’s internal software applies a correction, taking into account the room temperature, to give a temperature value approximately equivalent to oral temperature.These thermometers can also be programmed to calculate temperature values approximately equivalent to rectal temperature. A temperature reading is obtained within one second and further temperature measurements can be obtained immediately afterwards.