Yes, it is sensitive to ambient temperature, which is part of the reason it is so accurate. But, as long as the thermometer is in approximately the same ambient temperature as the individual whose temperature is being taken, you don't have to be concerned.
www.exergen.comRE: Exergen - TemporalScanner™ TAT-2000C
You should normally be getting reproducible results, or results within a few tenths of a degree of each other. However, a few things to know:
Multiple temperatures taken over the same area in rapid succession will ultimately cool the area causing differences.
If sweating, the temperature on the neck behind the ear lobe becomes the overriding temperature, and since this area is not quite as stable as the temporal artery, it can easily cooled be by the thermometer in taking multiple readings. Remember, the probe of thermometer will be at room temperature, and is about 30 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius) cooler than body temperature.
www.exergen.comRE: Exergen - TemporalScanner™ TAT-2000C
A major reason ear thermometers are considered inaccurate by medical professionals is because the positioning of the probe in the ear canal is inconsistent, thus creating inconsistent readings and frequently missing fevers. The temporal artery thermometer scans the forehead area for the temporal artery and it is almost impossible to miss the artery during a scan. Also, the person whose temperature is being taken does not like something inserted in their ear, making good positioning even more difficult. The gentle scan across the forehead is comfortable and not objectionable. The TemporalScanner has been proven more accurate than ear thermometers by a Harvard Medical School study.
www.exergen.comRE: Exergen - TemporalScanner™ TAT-2000C
