Perhaps the most familiar temperature sensor to many people is the fever thermometer used to determine if one’s body temperature is out of the normal range. It generally indicates the presence of a fever or systemic infection, if higher than normal, and something perhaps even more serious, if much lower than the norm.

In recent years the use of electronic fever thermometers has become widespread and the Infrared Ear Thermometer, pioneered by Dr. Jacob Fraden, The inventor of the brand named device Braun’s “Thermoscan (TM)” has become readily available and widely used in medical facilities and in the home.

Part of the move to electronic fever thermometers has been the realization of the toxicity and scope of the problem of mercury that escapes from mercury-in-glass fever thermometers. This issue has grown to the point where, in the USA at least, mercury-in-glass thermometers are being outright banned in many States and hospitals.

Some of the links contained here point to further information on these issues. If you know of more and/or more informative sites, do not hestitate to submit them. They’ll be reviewed and added with full credit to the submitter.

There are many other uses of temperature sensors in biology and medicine and we’ll be expanding this section as the inputs are received.

In the interim, note that FOOD SAFETY has been moved to its own area of the measurement topics list.