There are times when everyone needs to use a thermometer, but what if you could use your smartphone as a thermometer without making contact with the subject, wouldn’t that be handy? Well Fraden Corporation has now announced they have been granted a US patent for their new Infrared Thermometer tech that features a built-in module for smartphones.

The new Fraden Infrared Thermometer tech will enable a smartphone to remotely take temperatures without any contact with the person or object, and can take body temperature without any contact in under one-second, and works with the smartphone’s digital camera.

The new tech is ideal for parents with small children, caregivers, doctors, nurses, or anyone that has experienced problems taking temperatures, and the sensor accurately detects infrared signals that naturally emit from any surface, whilst a small infrared lens is placed close to the camera lens without any protruding parts so it looks identical to existing smartphones.

The sensor has a wide range from 22F to +400F, and offers broad applications in taking temperatures of not only people but inanimate items such as in the kitchen, bathroom, auto industry, school and more, and also measures UV sun exposure and electro-magnetic fields (EMF) pollution.

The president of Fraden Corps, and co-inventor of the technology, Dr. Jacob Fraden has said that the vendor with breakthrough functions for real world everyday use such as taking a child’s temperature can distance themselves from competitors, and they believe that this new patent can be a competitive differentiator for a smartphone manufacturer.

The Fraden Infredred Thermometer for smartphones tech features minimal incremental cost, quick to the market, is very easy to use, computes the body’s inner temperature, and is clinically accurate to IOS standards.

For those that might be interested in reading up on the patent in its entirety you can do so by heading the the USPTO.