The Benefits of a No-Contact Forehead Thermometer

The Benefits of a No-Contact Forehead Thermometer

Woman measuring body temperature and wearing a face mask

Taking your patient’s temperature is an important diagnostic step, but traditional methods often involve placing the thermometer in direct internal contact with the patient— potentially posing sanitary risks in the process.

As global healthcare takes on extra precautions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many medical practitioners are adopting contactless tools and therapies to minimize the spread of germs and disease. As a result, no-contact forehead thermometers are quickly gaining in popularity, especially as taking temperature becomes an increasingly important diagnostic tool.

What Is a No-Contact Forehead Thermometer?

Digital Non-Contact Forehead Thermometer
A no-contact forehead thermometer takes your patient’s temperature from a point about 1-5 cm from their forehead. Using infrared sensors, the thermometer reads infrared waves emitted by the temporal artery that runs just under the center of the forehead. Many models are also faster and more accurate than traditional thermometers.

The Benefits of a No-Contact Forehead Thermometer


The primary benefit of using a no-contact thermometer is preventing the spread of disease by eliminating contact with the patient. This benefit is especially helpful for medical practitioners working with large numbers of patients while using the same thermometers.

Safer and More Hygienic


By avoiding direct contact with the patient, no-contact thermometers virtually eliminate the risk of spreading germs and disease between multiple patients using the same thermometer. Since conventional methods of taking patient temperature often involve some form of direct, internal contact (such as when placed under the tongue), contactless thermometers are a far more sanitary alternative.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made no-contact thermometers all the more appealing. Using contactless thermometers can help quickly screen for potential cases. Instead of having to sanitize the thermometer between probes, users can simply “scan” patients in rapid succession, such as people standing in a line.

More Precise


Where conventional thermometers may misread temperature fluctuations from under the tongue or other internal areas, no-contact thermometers use infrared waves to precisely detect temperature. Most models target infrared rays given off by the heat of the temporal artery, which runs just beneath the skin of the forehead. By measuring temperature this way, no-contact thermometers offer greater precision and reliability than conventional models.

Fast and Convenient


No-contact thermometers can read temperatures almost instantly, whereas conventional thermometers often need several seconds—sometimes up to a minute—to gain a reasonably accurate temperature reading. No-contact thermometers owe this ability to their infrared scanning ability.

Easy to Read Display


Most models of no-contact thermometers come equipped with intuitive digital displays and interfaces. Depending on the manufacturer and user configurations, these interfaces can display temperature information both numerically and graphically. The JG-2000IR forehead thermometer, for example, displays a green, yellow, or red background depending on whether the patient’s temperature is normal or feverish.

Test for COVID-19 at Home with a No-Contact Forehead Thermometer


While patient temperature is not enough to properly diagnose COVID-19, fevers are often early indicators of the disease. As a result, daily temperature readings can be an effective way of monitoring patient health—or the health of you and your family—at home.

For more information on contactless thermometers and which model is right for you or your practice, call our medical device team at 877-646-3300.