Withings Launches $100 'Thermo' Contactless Thermometer for No-Hassle Readings

Announced earlier this year at CES, Withings today officially launched its latest connected health device, Thermo, a contactless thermometer approved by the FDA that "yields the most precise temperature possible" for parents looking to diagnose not only their children, but themselves.

With a connected app, which syncs to Thermo firstly through Wi-Fi but defaults to Bluetooth if Wi-Fi is unavailable, the company aims to track anyone's rough patch of sickness with temperature logs, medicine reminders, and a symptoms tracker all available for each user.

Thermo claims its "clinical accuracy" comes from HotSpot Sensor technology, which uses 16 infrared sensors to take more than 4,000 measurements and readings in one swipe of the device on a sickly individual's forehead. After finding the hottest point of contact, the Thermo detects changes in temperature and displays its highest reading on the digital screen of the product's handle, with convenient LEDs for easy visual confirmation of a normal, elevated, or high temperature based on the user's age.

Using revolutionary HotSpot Sensor™ Technology, Thermo uses 16 infrared sensors to take over 4,000 measurements to find the hottest point. Thermo sweeps over the forehead and measures from the temporal artery — considered the best way to detect temperature changes, as the blood that circulates there comes directly from the core of the body.

Thermo is a game changer. Now a fast, simple, no-contact gesture yields the most precise temperature possible, and automatic sync with the dedicated app also allows you to track temperature readings, get reminders, and input related symptoms/medications right on your smartphone.

The biggest advantage of the new connected thermometer is that it doesn't require direct contact with skin to successfully read a person's temperature, which means, unlike traditionally invasive designs, Thermo avoids contact with potentially unsanitary body fluids like saliva and ear wax. Withings said this advantage makes Thermo "the most sanitary way to take anyone’s temperature."

All of these readings are subsequently wired into the connected Withings app (supporting up to 8 family members), which accounts for a patient's age, fever history, and symptoms, guiding users to the best potential path for treatment. After temperature is determined on Thermo, a touch sensitive pad on the device's LED readout lets users toggle through family members to assign each reading. Push notifications can also be set up, so the app will remind users to take consistent readings throughout the day.

Thanks to a partnership with Boston Children's Hospital, parents can also get even more in-depth information on what kind of medication and dosage amounts they should look into if fevers run high enough to need a doctor visit. In order to keep track of everything happening during a period of illness, they can also mark down specific notes -- like how the sick family member is feeling -- to provide a more robust view of an individual's sickness when talking to a doctor.