Taking temperatures using the temporal artery

TAT-2000

Exergen has developed a highly advanced and innovative way of taking a patient’s temperature, using non-invasive infrared technology that is highly beneficial for productivity.

Thermometry aims to answer two clinical questions:

• Does the patient have a fever?
• If the patient has a fever, can we quantify it?

The thermometer we want to use should be fast, because we want to determine as quickly as possible if there is a fever, and accurate, because doctors and nurses need accurate data to determine the best possible treatment.

The technology. Exergen’s temporal artery thermometers measure the temperature of the blood in the temporal artery on the forehead. The forehead artery is a perfect location for measuring the body temperature. The temporal artery is located just 2 mm below the skin. With the use of infrared technology, this is ideal for measuring blood temperature. Secondly, blood flowing through the temporal artery was just seconds before in the heart, which is theoretically the ideal spot to measure a person’s core body temperature.

Also, we need to make sure the measurements of the Exergen temporal artery thermometers are not impacted by outside influences. This is crucial because hospital-grade thermometers are often used in different clinical settings. If a patient was outside in the heat or rain just before, we need to compensate for these outside influences. For this, Exergen has developed highly innovative algorithms.

Non-invasive, easy-to-use. While the technology on which the Exergen temporal artery thermometer is based is highly advanced, taking a person’s temperature with one is actually very simple. It only requires a gentle swipe across the forehead and a touch behind the earlobe. The accuracy is on par with rectal measurements and often more accurate than tympanic measurements.

Taking a person’s temperature takes just seconds. An important feature of the Exergen temporal artery thermometer is that it is non-invasive. Patients will not feel intimidated by the thermometer. This is especially true when it comes to young children. Furthermore, the thermometers can be used to measure a patient’s temperature even when they are asleep.

Hospital-grade thermometers. Exergen’s professional line of temporal artery thermometers consists of two models:

• TAT-5000S
• TAT-2000

The TAT-5000S easily stands up to the heavy-duty demands of a high-performance hospital workplace. Depending on patient care requirements, this model allows the choice of using disposable covers, or cleaning between patients with a disinfectant wipe.

The TAT-2000 is a light-duty professional model intended for school nurses, nursing homes, businesses, and other occasional use clinical settings. It allows the choice of using disposable covers or cleaning between patients with a disinfectant wipe.

Main characteristics of Exergen’s temporal artery thermometers:

Safe. This includes the risk of damaging through the use of the instrument and the hygienic considerations.

Accurate. On par with rectal measurements. The accuracy of the Exergen temporal artery thermometer is supported by over 100 peer-reviewed clinical studies.

Easy to use. This is related with the good reproducibility of the results with a low variability.

Non-invasive. Temporal artery thermometers are non-invasive.

Fast. Workflow optimization of nursing staff is of the essence, given the relative scarceness of personnel and the increasingly high demand for care.

Precise. Clinical decision making has to be adequate and as early as possible in the course of disease. Vital signs quality is key to fast and accurate decision making.

Cost-effective. Cost of use and cost of ownership are frequently a hidden part of the cost. Very small expenditure with a very high frequency like use-once throw-away caps will result in a surprisingly high annual cost.

Highly robust. Both the TAT-5000 (lifetime warranty) and the TAT-2000 (7-year warranty) come with a surprisingly long warranty period.