Infrared Imaging of the Brain-Eyelid Thermal Tunnel: A Promising Method for Measuring Body Temperature in Afebrile Children

Franciele De Meneck, Vinicius Santana, Gabriel Carneiro Brioschi, Denise Sabbagh Haddad, Eduardo Borba Neves, Maria do Carmo Franco and Marcos Leal Brioschi ()
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Franciele De Meneck: Division of Nephrology, School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023-062, SP, Brazil
Vinicius Santana: Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023-062, SP, Brazil
Gabriel Carneiro Brioschi: Greenways Academy School, St. Louis, MO 63141, USA
Denise Sabbagh Haddad: Faculty of Dentistry, University of São Paulo (FOUSP), São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
Eduardo Borba Neves: Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR), Curitiba 80230-901, PR, Brazil
Maria do Carmo Franco: School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023-062, SP, Brazil
Marcos Leal Brioschi: Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo (HCFMUSP), São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 19, 1-13

Abstract: (1) Infrared thermography of the inner canthus of the eye has emerged as a promising tool for temperature screening and fever diagnosis. Its non-invasive nature lends itself well to mass screening in diverse settings such as schools, public transport, and healthcare facilities. Swift and accurate temperature assessment plays a pivotal role in the early identification of potential fever cases, facilitating timely isolation, testing, and treatment, thereby mitigating the risk of disease transmission. Nonetheless, the reliability of this approach in the pediatric population, especially when compared to conventional thermometry methods, remains unexplored. This preliminary study aimed to evaluate the concordance between the temperature of the inner canthus of the eye (T ic,eye ), referred to as the brain-eyelid thermal tunnel (BTT°), with axillary and tympanic methods in afebrile children. (2) Methods: A cohort of 36 children, matched in a 1:1 ratio for gender and age, underwent comprehensive assessments encompassing anthropometric data, blood pressure evaluations, axillary (T ax ) and tympanic (T ty ) temperature measurements, as well as BTT° infrared thermography. (3) Results: The findings revealed a high level of concordance among the tympanic, axillary, and BTT° measurement methods. Bland–Altman plots showed that the bias was minimal, and no statistically significant differences were observed when comparing BTT° with axillary ( p = 0.136) and tympanic ( p = 0.268) measurements. Passing–Bablok regression scatter plots further confirmed the agreement, aligning the fitted regression line closely with the identity line for both axillary versus BTT° and tympanic (T ty ) versus BTT° comparisons. (4) Conclusions: This study holds significant implications for public health, especially in the context of infectious disease outbreaks such as COVID-19. BTT° infrared thermography of the inner canthus of the eye (T ic,eye ) reliably measures body temperature in afebrile children in controlled settings; nevertheless, its practical application necessitates the adaptation of biothermodynamic parameters to accommodate diverse environmental conditions.

Keywords: body temperature; brain; central nervous system; diagnosis; diagnostic techniques and procedures; investigative techniques; pediatrics; thermography; thermometry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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