FLIR software bolsters COVID-19 skin temperature screenings

FLIR Systems officials said the company has developed software for its T-Series, Exx-Series, and A-Series thermal imaging cameras to perform COVID-19 elevated skin temperature screenings in high-traffic areas.

Officials said the process via FLIR Screen-EST can be conducted in two seconds or less at entries and checkpoints while maintaining recommended social distancing guidelines.

“Governments and businesses across the globe are hard at work developing new processes to ensure public health and safety from COVID-19, including the use of radiometric thermal imaging cameras as part of a comprehensive frontline screening program,” Jim Cannon, president and CEO at FLIR, said. “Now, with FLIR Screen-EST software, those organizations can increase the speed and accuracy of frontline screening when using FLIR’s thermal cameras.”

The software is designed to automatically take a skin temperature measurement near the tear duct of each person, which officials said is the surface area most closely correlated to core body temperature, enabling screening of individuals to occur 50 percent faster than FLIR Systems’ existing on-camera screening mode, accelerating throughput.

If the software detects a skin temperature exceeding a threshold set above the baseline average, officials said it would notify the operator and display or sound an audible alarm on the viewing monitor. The individual should then be directed to a secondary medical screening.