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Digital thermometer

Digital thermometer with probe

The digital thermometer is an instrument that has become commonly used. But only a few years ago, the type of thermometers on the market, both for healthcare and laboratory use, were mercury-filled ones.
Since October 2017, European legislation has come into force banning the production and marketing of instruments with mercury fillings. Therefore, it is even more topical to understand how to choose and use a digital thermometer for one's temperature readings.

For several years, mercury thermometers have been taken off the market as a result of regulations issued by the European Union. The basic reason for this is that mercury is a toxic metal and difficult to dispose of.
In spite of this, in the early years of this change, the doubt remained in the public imagination that digital measurement was not particularly accurate.

The digital thermometer was not particularly accurate.

Body temperature measuring instruments, in particular, were found to have too wide a variability that compromised the reliability of this instrument.
But manufacturers have to respond quickly to market demands, and in a short time there have been many advances.

Digital thermometer sensors

The digital thermometer must be equipped with sensors with a certain accuracy in order to take safe and reliable measurements. And production quickly moved in this direction.
It was more than a century ago that the expanding properties of mercury were discovered, bringing this metal into every home and laboratory.

The standard method for measuring temperature has meant that the classic glass thermometer has remained almost unchanged for all these years.
Still today, however, industrial thermometers and some particular types of laboratory measurement still require the use of the mercury thermometer.

But today, the digital thermometer is also the standard in the laboratory. As a result of this, other technologies to detect temperature have also been developed, such as the infrared thermometer. But we will talk about this on a specific page.

Learn how to use the digital thermometer

In the digital thermometer, temperature is measured by a very small sensor. This component, thanks to a microcircuit with which it is equipped, is capable of detecting and transmitting even the slightest change in temperature.

The data, in order to be able to measure the temperature, must be transmitted to the thermometer.

The data, in order to be readable, must then be transmitted and shown on a display that allows it to be read.

Digital measurement today is very accurate. The sensor is able to pick up even the smallest fraction of a degree.

The sensor is able to pick up even the smallest fraction of a degree.

There are therefore digital thermometers on the market with different levels of accuracy and precision.
This naturally determines the different price levels of this instrument.

Digital thermometer price

The price of the digital thermometer almost always determines the level of accuracy at which you want to operate.

In most cases, when errors in measurement are detected, this is due to incorrect positioning of the instrument or sensor. And this can happen even with very pprecise (and expensive) thermometers.

This problem did not occur in the past.

This problem was not encountered in the past when using mercury thermometers. These, unlike the digital thermometer, had a small bulb that everyone knew how to position correctly.

This problem was not encountered in the past when using mercury thermometers.

Temperature measurement times and methods

Where before you had to wait minutes to get a correct reading, with the digital thermometer you only have to wait a few seconds to get a correct measurement.

This is the real advantage that every laboratory researcher personally experiences when using the digital instrument.

Most instruments are equipped with an acoustic alarm. This means that once the sensor has been positioned and the reading has started, a beep signals that the reading has been taken.

The instrument is also equipped with a beep.

In most cases the sensor is placed in a probe detached from the instrument. This allows the instruments to be interchanged depending on the use needed or the accuracy required.

The sensor is located in a probe detached from the instrument.

There are probes for food or environmental use that differ in resolution, and therefore in price. This makes the digital thermometer a highly customisable instrument.

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