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 infrare d tympanic thermometry by using an optical fiber for measuring tympani c temperature (T-ty). In the head cooling and facial fanning tests dur ing normothermia, right T-ty, measured by this method (infrared-T-ty) and esophageal temperature (T-es) were not affected by decreased templ e and forehead skin temperatures, suggesting that the infrared sensor in this system measured the infrared radiation from the tympanic membr ane selectively. Eight male subjects took part in passive-heat-stress and progressive-exercise tests. No significant differences among infra red-T-ty, the left T-ty measured by thermistor (contact-T-ty), and T-e s were observed at rest or at the end of each experiment, and there wa s no significant difference in the increase in these core temperatures from rest to the end. Furthermore, there were no significant differen ces in the core temperature threshold at the onset of sweating and slo pe (the relationship of sweating rate vs. infrared-T-ty and vs. contac t-T-ty). These results suggest that this method makes it possible to m easure T-ty accurately, continuously, and more safely.