A Texas company is quickly becoming a high demand supplier of infrared products worldwide in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Infrared Cameras Inc (ICI) CEO Gary Strahan has been working around the clock since January, manufacturing and preparing thousands of infrared devices to be sent around the globe to help detect and decrease the spread of the illness.
ICI has helped with viral outbreaks before — their products were used to help with the SARs, H1N1, and the 2014 Ebola pandemic in Africa. Infrared thermography detects elevated surface temperatures, including on the human body. “Every pixel in these cameras is a non-contact thermometer,” Strahan said. In mass fever screenings, infrared cameras have been used to scan body temperatures, which lead individuals to further testing for fevers.
These devices are already being used in airports around the world, including in China and Mexico. Recently, Carnival Cruise Line ordered the cameras to test passengers and crew boarding its ships. Ford Motor Company bought the devices to test and protect employees at its plants around the world, and a number of schools, factories, offices, hospitals and theaters are getting in line from South Korea to Europe and even the United Arab Emirates.
But the technology’s usefulness is not just for viruses. ICI has seen a surge in requests from the energy sector. Optical gas imaging cameras can detect gas leaks. Cameras mounted to drones can fly around oil wells and through pipelines. The cameras can also be used in the medical industry to help detect injury, breast cancer and even diabetes.
