Ontario manufacturer adopts thermal imaging to prevent spread of COVID-19

Therma Scans device. PHOTO: Therma Scans Inc.

TORONTO — As the city of Toronto joins a large majority of the province with entering stage three of the Ontario government’s reopening plan, Therma Scans, an Ontario-based thermal image screening technology manufacturer, announced they will be providing real-time, non-contact skin temperature measurements that may indicate a fever.

“With stage three comes easing off a number of restrictions as it relates to public gatherings and operating conditions for a variety of businesses,” said Alex Papanicolaou, Therma Scans founder, in a prepared statement. “With this easy-to-install non-invasive technology, not only are business protecting their customers, but they are also increasing the safety for the business workers as well.”

According to a company statement, the technology uses thermal imaging, non-contact cameras to detect heat emitted from individual(s). This energy is then converted into an electronic signal, which is then converted into visible thermal images made from heat — which is then transmitted in real-time to a monitoring dashboard.

Users can set the triggering temperature threshold (i.e. setting to 37.5C or 38.5C etc.), and can monitor and control these settings for multiple cameras under the same account via the app and/or the online dashboard. The technology immediately notifies users when a certain temperature — deemed to be dangerous — is reached.

The business also added, that, while Therma Scans is useful in detecting elevated body temperatures, it wouldn’t specifically detect coronavirus — just symptoms.

Therma Scans is currently being used by the frontline essential workers of the municipality of Cobourg, Ecoli Sense, among others.