Continuous measurement of tympanic temperature with a new infrared method using an optical fiber

The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility of an infrared tympanic thermometry by using an optical fiber for measuring tympanic temperature (T-ty). In the head cooling and facial fanning tests during normothermia, right T-ty, measured by this method (infrared-T-ty) and esophageal temperature (T-es) were not affected by decreased temple and forehead skin temperatures, suggesting that the infrared sensor in this system measured the infrared radiation from the tympanic membrane selectively. Eight male subjects took part in passive-heat-stress and progressive-exercise tests. No significant differences among infrared-T-ty, the left T-ty measured by thermistor (contact-T-ty), and T-es were observed at rest or at the end of each experiment, and there was no significant difference in the increase in these core temperatures from rest to the end. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the core temperature threshold at the onset of sweating and slope (the relationship of sweating rate vs. infrared-T-ty and vs. contact-T-ty). These results suggest that this method makes it possible to measure T-ty accurately, continuously, and more safely.