Thermal Scanner Integrating Facial Recognition with Healthcare Screening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing healthcare screening systems are often siloed from other identity-based functions in facilities, making interoperation and effective integration difficult, particularly in regulating access based on health status and employee identification.
Innovation Solution
Integrating healthcare screening with access control systems using thermal scanners equipped with cameras and IR cameras, which collect facial images and temperature data, and combine them with healthcare screening questionnaire answers to control facility access, while utilizing facial recognition and mask detection algorithms to verify identities and determine access permissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If healthcare screening systems are integrated with access control systems, then interoperation and effective integration improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines healthcare screening functionality with access control functionality into a single integrated system. The access control device includes both access control logic and healthcare screening logic, allowing it to perform both functions. This merging eliminates the need for separate siloed systems and enables seamless interoperation between healthcare screening and access control operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The access control device is designed to perform multiple functions: traditional access control based on credentials, healthcare screening through thermal imaging and questionnaire collection, and identity verification through facial recognition. This multi-functional design allows a single device to replace multiple separate systems, improving interoperation while managing complexity through consolidation.
2Measurement precision
If thermal scanners with cameras and IR cameras are used to collect facial images and temperature data, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges thermal imaging capability, visible light camera capability, and facial recognition functionality into a single scanner device. This consolidation allows the system to collect multiple types of data (temperature, facial images) simultaneously using integrated sensors, improving measurement precision while managing device complexity through unified architecture.
3Reliability
If facial recognition and mask detection algorithms are implemented, then access control reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The scanner device implements multiple algorithms including facial recognition for identity verification, mask detection for health compliance checking, and thermal analysis for temperature monitoring. These multi-functional algorithms enable the single device to perform comprehensive access control, healthcare screening, and security verification, improving reliability through multiple verification layers.
4Reliability
If healthcare screening questionnaire answers are collected and integrated with access control, then access control reliability improves, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows individuals to complete healthcare screening questionnaires in advance before arriving at the facility. This preliminary action enables the questionnaire data to be ready for integration with access control decisions, reducing on-site processing time while maintaining reliable screening procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system continuously collects and processes multiple data streams (thermal imaging, facial recognition, questionnaire answers) simultaneously during the access control process. This continuous parallel processing maintains reliable healthcare screening without adding sequential time delays, as all screening functions operate concurrently rather than in sequence.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This integration enables efficient and regulated access control, ensuring only healthy individuals with proper identification can enter facilities, adhering to guidelines like those from the CDC, while generating reports and alerts, and distinguishing between employees and visitors.
Implementation Method 1
A thermal scanner can include a camera and an InfraRed (IR) camera. The thermal scanner can collect a facial image and derive a temperature for a person (e.g., from an IR image)
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for integrating healthcare screening with other identity-based functions. In general, components facilitating healthcare screening interoperate with and/or are integrated into other systems, including facility access, identity, time keeping, payroll, etc. Aspects of the invention include using facial recognition to improve healthcare screening and satisfy governmental regulations. A thermal scanner can include a camera and an InfraRed (IR) camera. The thermal scanner can collect a facial image and derive a temperature for a person (e.g., from an IR image). The thermal scanner can also collect or access previously collected healthcare screening questionnaire answers. The collected temperate and healthcare screening questionnaire answers can be used to control access to the facility. For example, the person can be denied access when the collected temperature exceeds a defined temperate threshold and/or healthcare screening questionnaire answers indicate the person may be sick.