Japanese firm invents mirror to spot the flu

The company aims to sell 5,000 of the mirrors in a year
The world's first mirror thermometer, NEC Avio Infrared Technologies' "Thermo Mirror", is unveiled in Tokyo. The device measures the user's skin temperature without the need for physical contact, using a built-in infrared sensor.

As Japan's flu season gets into full swing, a local technology firm Tuesday unveiled a mirror-like thermometer that can detect and identify a person who is feverish.

"Thermo ," which looks like a table mirror, measures the skin temperature of the person looking into it, without the need for physical contact, said the firm, NEC Avio Infrared Technologies.

The person's temperature is displayed on the surface, and the device has an alarm that will beep when detecting a subject who is feverish.

With two versions priced at 98,000 yen and 120,000 yen ($1,180-$1,440) each, the product costs less than 10 percent of thermography cameras used at airports to screen for people who might have communicable diseases, the company said.

"We foresee uses at corporate receptions, schools, hospitals and public facilities," NEC Avio said in a statement.

The company said it aimed to sell 5,000 units in one year.

(c) 2011 AFP

Citation: Japanese firm invents mirror to spot the flu (2011, January 11) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2011-01-japanese-firm-mirror-flu.html
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