Many Jamaicans were so caught up in the theatric on TV recently with the news that the country has just received two machine that can be used to screen patients for the presence of fever. So what are these machines and are they new to Jamaica.
The machine are not new to Jamaica and have been around for many years and are typically used by air conditioner guys in their daily routine. Many of these
machines have been lying around and we could easily have had one of these companies sell these to the goj to conduct testing at the airport.
The device is really a infrared thermometer and is widely used to day measure radiated heat from a body, which falls into the infrared spectrum.
I have included a picture one such machines that I have owned for over 10 yrs and so was taken aback by the excitement I saw as we displayed these new “fever detection” machines.
Thermal Image of a refrigerator compressor and door.
As you can see you get an actual image and temperature scale as well as temperature at specific points on the image.
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Warren's Blog 
If my memory serves me right, weren’t you the one exalting the virtues of this technology a week or two ago? I think you had a very short write up of the FLIR Systems.
Given the many GOJ Ministers that you claimed monitor your blog on a consistent basis, I wouldn’t be surprise they took your endorsement of the product and claim it as their own. I’m I missing something here; are you saying that this fairly inexpensive non-contact Digital Thermometer isn’t an acceptable tool (one of many in the arsenal) in the fight of this deadly desease (Ebola)? If it’s not, should you remove the linked article from your blog? You wouldn’t want your readers to be confounded by the mixed signals. You seemed to have serve memory lapses, where you consistently say one thing and say the direct opposite when it suits your agenda. Do you care to explain exactly your position the FLIR System. Is it effective OR NOT?
Note: I reprinted the relevant section from your blog, just in case it mysteriously disappears overnight. 😉
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Thermal Imaging Camera can help in Ebola detection.
Posted on October 8, 2014 by jay
A specialized piece of thermal imaging technology created in the Portland metro area could help in the fight against Ebola.
FLIR systems of Wilsonville, Oregon manufactures thermal imaging cameras that detect when someone has a high body temperature.
The cameras are already being used in some airports in Asia and Europe but there are currently none in U.S. airports.
http://www.kgw.com/story/news/local/2014/10/08/portland-company–ebola-technology/16927941/
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Once your post have more than one link, its automatically held as spam, that is the only reason its not posted immediately.
There is a difference between the two my friend. The ones we receive and which are included in my post is a infrared thermometer ie a non contact thermometer.
The other unit I mentioned is a Thermal Imaging Camera , this was is a notch above the infrared thermometer in that it gives a not just the temperature but an actual image of the object being looked at. I will post such a image in the post above so you can see the difference between the two.
That is one the original post were alluding to, so Jay is far from being confused by friend.
As you can see I have no problems providing a little bit of knowledge to my readers.
They both work off the save technology. Basically, the IR Thermometer is a single spot infrared thermometer, while the imaging camera provides a complete image at a minimum of 20X (or much higher, depending on the model, etc.) the cost. I too own a number of these devices over the years and use them in various non-typical applications. They have a “good” range, especially in situations where access is limited.
Again, you miss the point of my post. Your comments seem dismissive of the initial steps being taken by the GOJ, downplaying the effectiveness of this inexpensive device. Come to think of it, what was the objective of this thread. In retrospect, I find it be a meaningless thread, although I can understand your motivation. Again, is it a worthwhile device….a good first step or not?
I wonder if Jay is now censoring by post. Why is it being held awaiting moderation?
No sir, its held in moderation by the anti spam software.
@ Anonymous.
This is what you wrote and which I sought to clarify as it contained factual errors.
I’m I missing something here; are you saying that this fairly inexpensive non-contact Digital Thermometer isn’t an acceptable tool (one of many in the arsenal) in the fight of this deadly desease (Ebola)? If it’s not, should you remove the linked article from your blog? You wouldn’t want your readers to be confounded by the mixed signals. You seemed to have serve memory lapses, where you consistently say one thing and say the direct opposite when it suits your agenda. Do you care to explain exactly your position the FLIR System. Is it effective OR NOT?
Note: I reprinted the relevant section from your blog, just in case it mysteriously disappears overnight. 😉
1. In my very first thread I mentioned thermal imaging camera and in your response you said digital non contact thermometer. I corrected this and pointed out they are not one and the same and cannot be used interchangeably. I see you now agree with that having done your research.
2. I sought to explain to readers what the item was and that is was not something novel, some recent cutting edge technology that Jamaica had acquired. In fact there were a few people who were of the opinion that this is something new that never existed in Jamaica before today. In fact a few person said to me they did not know it was an infrared thermometer given the excitement about ” fever detection” machines.
3.Your post sought to show I was contradicting myself and went as far as to suggest that having now found out that I was “wrong”, I would rush to remove the thread. In fact it said I seem to appear to have memory lapses. Clearly you now see that was never the case.
Now to your question ” Is a infrared camera a good first step in our line of defense”?
The answer is yes.
Now, no where in the article was this ever questioned.
That question was formulated in your mind and as such your response appears to have been based on the fact that you thought I was being dismissive of the actions on the MOH.
BTW.
Someone wrote to me telling be ” You see the government that you always a curse has received Ebola detection machines, so what you have to say now about our preparedness Mr Jay”
I said, we have acquired non contact or infrared thermometer, which can be used to check the temperature of an individual arriving at our ports. Its not an Ebola detection machine, it simply checks the persons temperature without having to touch the person. If someone has Ebola , one of the signs is high temperature and at this stage the person can transmit the virus to anyone who comes in contact with that person.
So what was the reason for writing this thread.
To educate people, so they don’t go around speaking from a position of ignorance.