Tiny far-infrared sensor has utility in clinical point-of-care applications

June 21, 2019
The sensor is based upon Melexis' far-infrared technology, which utilizes the fact that all objects emit heat radiation.

Microelectronics engineering company Melexis (Tessenderlo, Belgium) has developed a tiny medical-grade far-infrared (FIR) sensor assembled in a surface-mount package for use in a variety of applications, including clinical point-of-care applications where highly accurate human body temperature measurement is required. Additional applications include wearables and advanced in-ear-devices (hearables).

The MLX90632 FIR sensor is based upon the company's FIR technology, which utilizes the fact that all objects emit heat radiation. Miniaturized FIR sensors are typically sensitive to thermal disturbances, but the MLX90632 FIR sensor mitigates this effect through compensation algorithms to deliver high levels of thermal stability. The sensor is optimized for the normal human body temperature range, where it offers medical-grade accuracy of ±0.2°C due to advanced in-factory calibration procedures.

The sensor is housed in a 3 × 3 × 1 mm QFN package, which includes the sensor element, signal processing, digital interface, and optics. Its small size, high thermal stability, and optimization for human body temperature enable its use in ultra-small modern health monitoring devices, such as portable diagnosis tools capable of monitoring body temperature continuously. Monitoring vital signs repeatedly is a key enabler of preventive medicine practices to detect early critical health conditions. The sensor is also highly suited for more classic medical devices such as forehead or ear body thermometers

The MLX90632 FIR sensor is a finalist for the 'Innovative product award' organized by Sensors Expo 2019, to take place June 25-27 in San Jose, CA. 

For more information, please visit melexis.com.

About the Author

BioOptics World Editors

We edited the content of this article, which was contributed by outside sources, to fit our style and substance requirements. (Editor’s Note: BioOptics World has folded as a brand and is now part of Laser Focus World, effective in 2022.)

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