System sniffs out respiratory infections

Rajavithi Hospital developed the non-invasive temperature-monitoring system in collaboration with the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre.

Making a push for early detection of respiratory infections such as bird flu, Rajavithi Hospital has installed a system that scans body temperatures of visitors and alerts officials to anyone with a fever - the first sign of such infections.

The system has been placed at the hospital's outpatient department (OPD). People who have a high body temperature are promptly taken for examination and provided medical attention.

Rajavithi Hospital developed the non-invasive temperature-monitoring system in collaboration with the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec), the hospital's deputy director Dr Sompong Thanapaisarnkit said.

With the system in place, health officials do not have to take each OPD patient's temperature one by one, Sompong said. They can simply let the monitor scan the visitors and identify those with likely respiratory infection. 

The system also helps reduce the chances of health officials contracting bird flu or severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) from patients and guards against an outbreak at the hospital. In the past, 10 per cent to 15 per cent of hospital staffers have been found to have contracted infections from OPD patients.

The system uses software developed by Nectec and a thermal-imaging camera, Nectec Photonics Technology Lab director Sarun Sumriddetchkajorn said.

The thermal camera has a sensor which measures body temperatures of objects that the lens captures, he said. But while the camera can identify a person with high body temperature, it cannot provide the exact reading. Nectec's software fills this gap and also alerts officials with a beep on detecting a person with high body temperature, Sarun said.

The system takes 0.03 seconds to give a temperature reading and can scan three to four people at a time.

As the system measures body temperatures from a distance, it also has software that adjusts the reading in accordance with the room temperature at a given time. The feature was required to make the readings accurate, Sarun said. For example, the temperature inside an air-conditioned room may be lower than the average temperature. The software allows the system to adjust readings as per the temperature difference, he said.

The system is on a three-month trial at the hospital. During the period, developers will evaluate and tweak the system before extending the monitoring to other areas.

If the project proves successful, the Public Health Ministry will install such systems at other government hospitals.

      At a glance

n The system uses software developed by Nectec and a thermal-

imaging camera.

n The thermal camera has a sensor which measures body temperatures of objects that the lens captures.

n But while the camera can identify a person with high body

temperature, it cannot provide the exact reading.

n Nectec's software fills this gap and also alerts officials with a beep on detecting a person with high body temperature.

n If the project proves successful, the Public Health Ministry will install such systems at other government hospitals.