Development of single-pixel infrared imaging thermometry (SPIRIT) for fast and accurate COVID-19 fever screening

大规模发热筛查作为控制这些大流行性疾病传播的最有效方法，对减少COVID-19对加拿大的影响至关重要。然而，现有的用于大规模发热筛查的方法由于温度测量的有限灵敏度而在很大程度上是低效的，这归因于容易受到环境参数的干扰、低分辨率和不正确的部署方式。 该NSERC COVID-19联盟项目旨在通过INRS和Ajile Light Industries Inc.之间的合作开发用于大规模COVID-19发热筛查的单像素红外成像测温仪（SPIRIT）。（ALI）。特别是，我们建议通过三个具体目标来完成这一目标，包括开发SPIRIT系统的硬件和软件以及将SPIRIT系统应用于测量人体温度。INRS和ALI将提供必要的和互补的专业知识，包括本申请中提出的所有研究任务。双方将致力于经常性的互动和沟通，以确保该项目的按时执行和快速进展，并促进技术转让。ALI将继续在这方面进行投资，以快速将所提出的技术商业化。 SPIRIT将提供快速、被动、非接触式温度测量。它在温度灵敏度、系统成本和紧凑性方面上级现有的红外热成像技术。总而言之，SPIRIT提出了一个新的工程成就，对成像和传感行业极具吸引力。更重要的是，SPIRIT具有巨大的潜力，可以部署在机场、港口、火车站、边境口岸和学校，以检测发烧患者并限制疾病的传播。协作和创新的精神将有助于赢得抗击COVID-19的战斗。

Mass fever screening, as the most effective way to control the spread of these pandemic diseases, is vital to reduce the impact of COVID-19 to Canada. However, existing methods for mass fever screening is largely inefficient due to limited sensitivity in temperature measurement, which is attributed to easy interference by ambient parameters, low resolution, and incorrect ways of deployment. This NSERC COVID-19 Alliance project aims to develop single-pixel infrared imaging thermometry (SPIRIT) for mass COVID-19 fever screening via an academia-industry collaboration between INRS and Ajile Light Industries Inc. (ALI). In particular, we propose to complete this objective by three specific Aims that involve the development of hardware and software of the SPIRIT system and the application of the SPIRIT system in measuring the temperature of humans. INRS and ALI will provide necessary and complementary expertise that encompasses all research tasks proposed in this application. Both sides are committed to frequent interaction and communication to ensure the on-time execution and fast progress of this project and to facilitate the technology transfer. ALI will continually invest in this direction to quickly commercialize the proposed technique. SPIRIT will provide fast, passive, non-contact temperature measurement. It is superior to existing infrared thermography techniques in terms of temperature sensitivity, system cost, and compactness. Altogether, SPIRIT presents a novel engineering achievement highly attractive to the industries of imaging and sensing. More importantly, SPIRIT has great potential for being deployed at airports, ports, train stations, border crossings, and schools to detect people with fever and limit the spread of diseases. The collaborative and innovative SPIRIT will contribute to winning the battle against COVID-19.