Recently, a short video, “women 2,000 dollars for electronic thermometers pays iq taxes”, was distributed online. The client claimed that he had purchased an electron thermometer for $200, which he did not feel able to measure; that he had bought an electron thermometer for $2,000, which he could not measure; and that he had found that $10 of the mercury thermometer was the most accurate, which he lamented as an “iq tax”。
However, electrostatic thermometers have reached thousands of households and are also used in many medical institutions. Many netizens were confused when they watched the video: can't they really measure the electrons
The shanghai rumour platform found that electronic thermometers were not an “iq tax”, but that it was important to properly select and use them properly。
It's probably not a thermometer
The shanghai rumour platform viewed the video and found that the “2000 electron thermometer” of concern was not a thermometer, but an industrial infrared thermometer. This was also observed by a number of netizens, who left a message in the video that the video parties had bought the wrong product。
The video client shows a 2,000-dollar electron thermometer similar to the industrial infrared thermometer
Some netizens also wrote that the video users were using industrial thermometers
The shanghai rumour platform advised many industrial infra-red thermometer brands about the availability of products for human temperature measurement, and was told that “no” was “not recommended”。
According to various brands of industrial thermometers, products cannot measure body temperature
Industry sources point out that some industrial thermometers, although highly accurate, are used in different ways from body thermometers and cannot measure body temperature accurately。
Industrial infrared thermometers are used mainly in distribution survey, equipment inspection, equipment maintenance, process environment temperature monitoring, etc., and are used to select suitable field of view, mode of measurement, cold hotspots, etc., based on measurement objectives, environment, etc. The results of the measurements include the maximum, minimum, average, margin, etc. In short, this is an industrial product and does not apply to human temperature measurements。
“don't say that 2000 won't allow industrial thermometers to detect temperature, even if they are more expensive.” according to industry sources, other than industrial thermometers, it is not recommended to measure body temperature. Previously, a number of public places had thermal imagers to measure the temperature of people entering, but the detection accuracy and error of such equipment varied and could only be screened. For household temperature measurements, there is no need to procure such equipment. Moreover, in terms of sales prices, the average household electrostatic thermometers range from a few dozen to a few dozen dollars, and the cost of the ear thermometers, which range from several dozen to several hundred dollars, rarely exceeding 500 dollars。
The mercury thermometer is highly accurate, but the downside is clear
So, what kind of thermometer should i use for home temperature measurements? Based on the video, the 200-dollar electron thermometer that the client purchased for the first time was an ear thermometer
“in the field of home use, common thermometers include mercury thermometers, electrostatic thermometers, ear thermometers, quantum thermometers, etc. The mercury thermometer is the highest in accuracy, but it is difficult to use troublesome, fragile and reading; the electronic thermometer, though greater than the mercury thermometer, is less likely to affect the diagnosis of the disease; and the ear thermometer and the quantum thermometer are fast, although they are larger than electronic thermometers, but they are more suitable for special groups such as young children.” in the view of kang ying ying, the thermometer engineer at the shanghai institute of metrology and testing technology, the temperature measurer of the shanghai institute for metrology and energy, the various thermometers are of a variety of kinds and the public can choose to use them on an as-needed basis; although the mercury thermometer is high in accuracy, there are many disadvantages。
She said that mercury thermometers were measured on the basis of thermal expansion and cooling properties of mercury, and that even if the temperature changed only slightly, the volume of mercury would change and the body temperature would follow. However, the downside of mercury thermometers is also evident: first, inaccessibility. Each use is preceded by a shaker thermometer to restore the mercury to its place of origin; the second is fragile. Mercury is a toxic volatile heavy metal, which can be harmful to health and the environment if it is not properly cleaned out in a timely manner. Thirdly, mercury thermometers have very small reading digits and are difficult for older persons to read。
In fact, the mercury thermometer is about to be eliminated from the market due to mercury hazards. The national drug supervisory authority issued a circular in 2020 that, with effect from 1 january 2026, the production of mercury-containing thermometers and mercury-containing sphygmomanometer products was banned。
The error in the electrostatic thermometer does not affect the medical judgment
What is the alternative product if the mercury thermometer is to be eliminated
The closest to the mercury thermometer is the electron thermometer。
Electronic thermometers
Chon ying ying, first of all, needs to identify the difference between the “electronic thermometer” “ear thermometers” “the quantum thermometers”: “they all use batteries, but according to national standards `electronic thermometers' are those measured using temperature sensors, which are to be measured in contact with humans, such as mouths, arms, anals, etc. And the ear thermometer, the prime thermometer, is a non-contact thermometer, which is not strictly called the "electronic thermometer"
The electron thermometer has a slightly higher measurement error than the mercury thermometer. According to national standards, in the measurement range of 35. 3°c to 41°c, the maximum allowable error of the mercury thermometer is in the range -0. 15°c to 0. 10°c; the maximum permissible error of the electron thermometer is in the range of ±0. 2°c or ±0. 1°c, depending on the temperature range. In other words, the measured temperature difference between the electron thermometer and the mercury thermometer is only about 0. 1°c. Gang ying ying said: “this error does not normally affect medical judgment. So you can use electrons."
As for ear thermometers, non-contact thermometers based on infrared are more suitable for special groups such as infants and young children. These two thermometers have a greater error than the electron thermometer and their measurement accuracy is relevant to the environment in which they are used. "the presence of twigs in the ears, sweat on the forehead, position of probes when measured, etc. Will affect measurement accuracy. The measurement error scale of the ear thermometer is relatively smaller.” chon ying ying suggested that for special populations with lower co-heating temperature, an ear thermometer and a nominal thermometer could be used. At present, many hospitals also use ear thermometers to quickly screen the temperature of their clients, so such thermometers are also available。
Select correctly to use the thermometers
It is important to note that the correct selection and use of various thermometers is important for measuring body temperature。
At present, mercury thermometers, electrostatic thermometers and ear thermometers are included in the national catalogue of mandatory measures. The associated thermometers must obtain a certificate of approval for the measurement device type (cpa certificate) for production and sale. Therefore, when consumers select their thermometers, care is taken to see whether the product is marked and numbered by the cpc。
These thermometers are used in such a way that they do not affect the accuracy of the measurements by means of error or environmental factors。
For example, mercury thermometers and electrostatic thermometers measure the temperature of the body in three ways: mouth, armpit and anal. Before oral measurements, hot and cold water should not be used, the temperature should be measured at the lower end of the tongue, and the measurements should not be spoken. Under-armour measurements require that the armpits are dry and free of sweat, and are measured in such a way as to allow the armpits to contain tight thermometers as far as possible。
In addition, electrostatic thermometers may lead to inaccurate measurements due to inadequate battery voltage or humidity. The solution is to replace batteries or to deweage body thermometers into dry objects (e. G. Grains such as rice)。
For example, some consumers find large differences in the temperature between ears when using an ear thermometer, which may be related to the measurement angle and the environment of the ear. Ear thermometers measure the temperature of the drum membrane as a reflection of the core temperature of the human body. However, the measurements will be accurate only if they are conducted in such a way as to keep the ear open and to detect the temperature of the probe. If there is an oscillation or an oscillation, the result may be affected. According to national standards, multiple ear cavity readings measured by the same operator from the same ear of the same subject should not exceed ± 0. 3°c。
The accuracy of the thermometer is subject to greater environmental impact. The first 20 to 30 minutes of temperature is measured using a volume thermometer, preferably in an indoor environment, so as not to affect accuracy due to a greater temperature difference. The measurements are directed to the centre of the forehead, and the measuring area cannot be covered by hair, sweat, hat, etc。
The shanghai rumour platform has also learned that local market regulators conduct spot checks of various thermometers, resulting in public scrutiny of the results through a network of regulatory officials or public announcements. In the shanghai market, in 2022, two batches of ear thermometers and six batches of medical electronic thermometers were sampled and no unsatisfactory products were detected. If infrared thermometers, such as ear thermometers, domes, are found to vary significantly, they can be calibrated in contact with the relevant measurement technical agencies。
