IV. OPERATING PRINCIPLE
All objects, solid, liquid or gas, emit energy by radiation. The
intensity of this energy depends on the temperature of the object.
The RapiTemp PTC-0509 infrared thermometer is therefore able to
measure the temperature of a person by the energy the person
emits. This measurement can be taken thanks to an external
temperature probe on the device which permanently analyses and
registers the ambient temperature. Therefore, as soon as the
operator holds the thermometer near the body and activates the
radiation sensor, the measurement is taken instantly by detection of
the infrared heat generated by the arterial blood flow. Body heat
can therefore be measured without any interference from the heat
of the surrounding environment.
T
HE DIFFERENT METHODS OF TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
Core temperature
Core temperature is the most precise measurement and involves
measuring the temperature in the pulmonary artery by means of a
catheter equipped with a thermal probe which can read the
temperature in situ. The same method is employed for probes
measuring the oesophageal temperature. However, such invasive
temperature measurement methods require specific equipment and
expertise.
Rectal thermometry
Rectal temperature adjusts slowly in comparison to the evolution of
the body’s internal temperature. It has been demonstrated that
rectal temperature remains raised long after the internal
temperature of the patient has started to drop and vice versa.
Furthermore, rectal perforations have been known to occur as a
result of this method and without appropriate sterilisation
techniques, rectal thermometry can spread germs often found in
faeces.
