I know that the Center for space medicine in Berlin has been experimenting with non-invasive temperature measurements, using fluctuations in skin temperature to meassure core temperatures.

However, they have not published any papers on this subject the last years, so I don't know whether the system has developed further:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0300957210003278

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19428314

Dear Erik

Thank you for the reply. I read the articles you linked with great interest. Despite massive vasoconstriction during hypothermia and hypovolemia maybe skin temperature could be a valid measuring site in the future.

A few years ago I participated in an experiment with one of the co-authors. They used the described method to meassure temperature on the skin of pigs that were hypothermic and in direct contact with snow. The recorded temperature seemed to correlate closely with esophagal temperature. However, I can't find that the results have been published, so it is possible that they have encountered further challenges.

Interesting that the results are not published (yet). Is it possible for you as a participant in the study to ask the study group if the results are available or will be published?

I don't have in depth understanding of the details of the zero heat flux sensor principles. I see that there are some references describing the methods in details. Some reading must be done. Do you have any personal experiences from this method on patients?

Hi Oyvind,

I don’t have experience of feasibility studies but I work in ambulance care. Measuring the core body temperature (ear temperature) using Infrared light is common in Sweden. I have attached one study, even if you probably have read it already. I can also recomend a study by Rotello in Critical Care Medicine, 1996. In Västerbotten county council we are using tympanic temperature to decide patients’ temperature in hospital settings but also in the field (included in the triage). In my observation studies of cold discomfort, my intention has been to use the same devices used by ambulance personnel in the field. I think it is important to have reliable devices but the problem for us is the lack of equipment to treat cold patients in the field, irrespective if the thermometer showing 35.1 or 34.9.

Good luck!

Why not quantify FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red) images?

And what about Telemetric ingestible pills ? The method provide continuous monitoring duration is during around 36h and the data are acurate and  reliable.

I've developped such a device for my own needs, with an internal memory in the sensor. This allows ambulatory measurment.

Thank you an very interessting comment. Is it possible to measure temperature and export (read) data while the pills are inside the intestine? Could you please provide some references where this pill is used?

Yes it is the possible ! it was my main demand when I contact some industrial partners at the begining of the project.

I wanted to collect temperature data during physical exercices (marathon, cycling, swimming...).... The system can provide instantaneous data, using  telemetry if the monitor is at less than 2 meters of the subject. When the communication is impossible, the pill stores the data in its own memory. It restores the data to the monitor as soon as the communication is OK. The restitution procedure is automatic and its duration depends on the number of data to restore (ranging form a few seconds to a few minutes).

The system is now available for  animals monitoring (mouse, rats,...) and currently used for pre-clinical researches and veterinary uses. It is called ANIPILL see :

www.animals-monitoring.com

The system for human measurment is being evaluated to be CE Marked as a medical device (e-Celsius system). It will be available in a few weeks but now available as a prototype version, and it is currently used for clinical trials in US and French Labs.

You will find more information at :

www.bodycap-medical.com

www.bodycap-medical.com