Development and implementation of a calibration system for infrared clinic ear thermometers

Abstract

This work presents the process of construction and implementation of a calibration system for clinical ear thermometers at the Temperature and Humidity Laboratory of the Physical Subdivision of the Instituto Nacional de Metrología, INM, using a blackbody cavity and a contact thermometer as measurement standards. As part of the implementation and method confirmation, an experiment was designed based on 54 independent measurements carried out by three different operators at three different temperatures (35◦ C, 37◦ C and 40◦ C), with 6 replicates for each level. The statistical analysis of the means revealed a strong dependence of the correction as a function of temperature, whilst a significant difference amongst operators was not evident, this fact prompted the conclusion that the implemented method is reproducible. The measurement uncertainty of the system was ± 0,14◦ C, this value can be diminished by employing a standard thermometer with a better measurement uncertainty.