The Evolution of Body Temperature Measurement in Humans:  The Importance of Accurate Temperature Measurement and How Exergen Transformed Healthcare

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Fever measurement is one of the first and most important warning signs for a wide range of health conditions, and accuracy in this reading can be decisive. In contexts such as oncology and neutropenic fever is a common medical emergency. Cancer patients, due to chemotherapy treatment, may have a low count of neutrophils, a white blood cell vital for fighting infections. Fever, in this case, is a critical sign, and a quick diagnosis is essential to start treatment without delays.

Another example is the monitoring of diseases such as dengue. High fever is one of the first signs and can indicate the onset or evolution of complications. Accurate temperature measurement in these cases helps to monitor the clinical condition and allows for more effective treatment.

The History of Thermometers 

The evolution of human body temperature measurement reflects the continuous advancement of technology. From the sixteenth century, with Galileo’s thermoscope, to the present day with Exergen’s Temporal Artery Thermometers, progress has been remarkable:

Sixteenth Century 

  • 1592: Galileo Galilei invents the first thermoscope, a device that could show temperature changes but did not measure temperature in specific units.

Seventeenth Century 

  • 1612: Santorio Santorio, an Italian physician, adapts Galileo’s thermoscope to measure human body temperature, creating the first medical temperature device.
  • 1654: Ferdinand II de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, develops a liquid thermometer in glass, using colored alcohol to measure temperature.

Eighteenth Century 

  • 1714: Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit invents the mercury-in-glass thermometer, which is more accurate and reliable. He also creates the Fahrenheit scale.
  • 1742: Anders Celsius develops the Celsius scale (initially called the centigrade scale), which becomes widely used in temperature measurement.

Nineteenth Century 

  • 1867: Thomas Clifford Allbutt, a British physician, invents the portable clinical mercury thermometer, which reduces the time of measuring temperature from 20 minutes to about 5 minutes.

Twentieth Century 

  • 1930: Clinical mercury thermometers become standard for measuring body temperature due to their accuracy and ease of use.
  • 1964: Dr. Theodore Hannes Benzinger invents the infrared ear thermometer, which measures eardrum temperature, providing a quick and non-invasive measurement.
  • 1970: Digital thermometers begin to be developed, offering faster and safer measurements, without the use of mercury, which is now banned in several countries.
  • 1984: The first commercial infrared ear thermometer is introduced, becoming popular for its speed and convenience.

XXI Century 

  • 1999: Exergen introduces the first temporal artery thermometers for professionals and consumers. Temporal Artery Thermometer.
  • 2000s: Digital thermometers become widely accessible, with models that can measure oral, rectal, axillary, and tympanic temperature.
  • 2010: Infrared forehead thermometers, which measure the temperature of the temporal artery, gain popularity due to their ease of use and accuracy.
  • 2020: The COVID-19 pandemic increases the demand for non-contact thermometers for quick and safe body temperature screening.

Exergen: Speed and Precision

With more than 2 billion temperature measurements taken per year in the United States alone, Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometers are preferred in hospitals and professional care facilities across the United States the rest of the world . These unique, very accurate medical type IIa devices are at the forefront of accurate temperature measurement.

Exergen’s range of thermometers employs infrared to measure temperature in the temporal artery, providing accurate and consistent readings by gently touching the forehead simple gliding over the forehead. From the middle to the left or the right. Temporal arterial technology is non-invasive and more comfortable for patients compared to traditional methods. The thermometer sensor measures temperature 1,000 times per second, ensuring that the highest temperature found is always recorded, which provides the necessary accuracy for patient care. All this in just 3 seconds. This agility , accuracy, ease of use and reliability are essential for monitoring health conditions both in a hospital and at home environment.

Sources,

EXERGEN P/N 850281, Rev 1