At CES 2016, Withings revealed a highly accurate easy-to-use infrared thermometer named Thermo. When placed against your temple, it measures your body temperature by using infrared sensors. The big question was, will it get the FDA approval for mass production? Yes, you guessed it right! Thermo is now available at the Apple Store and online website for Withings for $99.95 after securing FDA approval.
Thermo is classified as a Class 2A medical instrument. This classification means that Thermo is not only safe to use, it is also highly accurate in temperature measurement of the body that only requires a simple sweep of the forehead for checking fever. It is a competitive advantage of this product that will also satisfy the overprotective parents.
How Thermo Works?
Thermo has a small display. Behind the display mirror, there is an assemblage of 16 infrared sensors that take rapid readings of temperature without getting in direct contact with the skin. This group of sensors is designed to measure the heat of the user’s temporal artery that transports blood from heart to the head and travels up the temple across the forehead. This way, the body’s core temperature measurement is less intrusive and quicker.
How To Use?
How to take a reading? Simply place the green side of Thermo at the center of patient’s forehead, then slowly sweep it towards his temple until you feel two vibrations in Thermo. It takes the device two seconds to get about 4,000 measurements. An algorithm processes these measurements and takes other parameters into account like room temperature before giving the final results.
The device also keeps track of the temperature measurements made earlier so you can see the trend in increase or decrease of fever. It also keeps data of multiple users, e.g., different members of the family and uses factors like height, weight, and age of the user to send instant feedback on whether this particular temperature reading means fever or not. You can scroll up or down the list of family members fed on the device after purchase to select the user whose measurements are being taken. Yup, you’re right! Thermo also possesses basic touchscreen functionality.
Salient Features
- Thermo is easy-to-use and incorporates haptic feedback that tells you when reading is being taken. It also has an LED that changes color to indicate the presence of absence of fever.
- It takes reading with just a swipe of your forehead without the need of sticking it in armpits or under the tongue. Hence, it will help in dealing with grumpy children who don’t stay motionless for more than a few seconds.
- LED lights next to the temperature reading: 1. Green= Everything Okay 2. Yellow= Fever Starting 3. Red= Need Medical Attention.
- LED display of white on white makes it possible to see readings both during the day and the night.
- Powered by two AAA batteries that have a magnetic cover and an impressive life of two years.
- Different from other infrared thermometers as it has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi built in the device.
- Thermo app stores and syncs the temperature data and needs that can be opened to check previous readings for multiple users.
- Typical infrared thermometers cost around $25 – $40 whereas $100 is not a cheap replacement. However, it comes with less intrusive and more accurate readings.
Thermo’s neat design and smart history-keeping features come at a significant surcharge. But then again, those standard infrared thermometers are not always accurate, need a recall of readings, and do not always secure FDA approval.
Thermo is your quick and effective replacement to conventional thermometers. You need to try it!
