Since the COVID-19 pandemic conditions, non-contact physical examinations are urgently needed, this is because many people are exposed to COVID-19 through direct physical contact, including when doctors or nurses check the patient’s body health condition. One of the first steps in examining physical conditions to detect whether a person is suspected of being exposed to COVID-19 or not is through measuring body temperature. Currently, body temperature checks are mostly carried out through the use of non-contact thermometers by measuring the temperature at one point of the object with a maximum distance of about 5 centimeters, making it susceptible to infection if used on people exposed to viruses or infectious diseases.
Some researches related to non-contact thermal sensors have been carried out. To promptly identify patients and prevent further spreading, physicians should be aware of the travel or contact history of the patient with compatible symptoms[5]. Non-contact infrared thermometer has been designed by using MLX90614 infrared sensor to measure single point of human body[3]. The results of the AMG8833 trial show that the proposed system has an average error rate of 0.10 oC or 0.28%[4]. Through experimental results, the tests using AMG8833 was verified that about 84% of the normal error distribution around the maximum temperature was kept between ± 2 °C, therefore within tolerable limits[1]. Low cost thermal imaging can be easily accessible and affordable to local clinics and homes, thereby making thermal imaging as a viable option for detection of abnormalities in temperature distribution over the human body in a non-contact and pain-free manner[2].
Based on the product spesification of AMG8833, this sensor can be used to measure temperatures ranging from 0°C to 80°C (32°F to 176°F) and provide the accuracy of +- 2.5°C (4.5°F). It can support temperature detection of the two-dimensional area of 8 × 8 (64 pixels) and a maximum 7 meters detection distance. It can be connected through I2C output (capability of temperature value output). It can be applied in some applications : high function home appliances (microwaves and air-conditioners), energy saving (air-conditioning/lighting control), digital signal, or automatic doors/elevators. Therefore, the AMG8833 thermal sensor is expected to be used as a solution because based on product specifications, the AMG8833 can be used up to a maximum distance of 7 meters with 64 measuring points with an 8 x 8 array pattern.
Author: Franky Chandra Satria Arisgraha, S.T., M.T
Journal: Innovation of Technology in Non-Contact Health Examination of The Body by using The AMG8833 Thermal Sensor
