Heat Stress: Why is the temperature sensor of the QT-II placed in the ear for personal monitoring?
There are several other ways of tracking core body temperature that work (down the esophagus, orally, anally, or via skin contact) but you need to find one you can work with. Most people would rather put an earplug in their ear than swallow a sensor, or one of the other methods. The sensor we use is mounted inside a standard foam earplug, so the sensor only goes as far as the earplug. The earplug has a Noise Reduction Rating of 22. The ear sensor tracks the temperature of the tympanic membrane, which is near the blood flow to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus regulates body temperature. At the time Quest was developing the QT-II personal monitor, the technology for taking temperatures using the ear sensor was becoming more acceptable in hospitals and is now available to consumers.
Related Questions
- Heat Stress: There are temperature levels on the QT-II Personal Heat Stress Monitor printout about 110 degrees Fahrenheit; how can this be?
- Heat Stress: Why is the temperature sensor of the QT-II placed in the ear for personal monitoring?
- Heat Stress: Why would I need a QT-34/3 or QT-36/3 with three sensor bars?
