VARENNES, QC — November 27, 2025 — Leads & Copy — A team at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has developed a new infrared technology called SPIRIT (Single-pixel infrared imaging thermometry) for improved fever screening, addressing the unreliability of traditional thermal cameras. SPIRIT focuses on the inner corners of the eyes, near the nose, for more accurate core body temperature readings.
Traditional thermal cameras, which measure facial temperature on the forehead or cheeks, are often skewed by airflow, sweat, or face coverings, leading to unreliable results, especially as cold weather increases the spread of viruses like influenza, RSV, and COVID-19.
Professor Jinyang Liang, a computational imaging expert at INRS, led the team that developed SPIRIT. Liang emphasized the potential of SPIRIT to reshape fever monitoring in everyday settings, citing its accuracy and ease of use.
Liang, who holds the Canada research chair in ultrafast computational imaging, collaborated with Cheng Jiang, Patrick Kilcullen, Yingming Lai, and Professor Tsuneyuki Ozaki, all based at the INRS Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications Research Centre. Their findings have been published in Nature Communications.
SPIRIT uses just one infrared pixel, along with a light encoding system and computational reconstruction, concentrating 100% of detection on the inner corners of the eyes. According to the press release this eliminates the need for expensive cooling systems or bulky sensors.
In tests with 39 volunteers, SPIRIT successfully detected a fever case, tracked normal temperature changes throughout the day, and identified differences linked to wearing glasses, all using compact, affordable hardware. The new technology, processes data in real-time and delivers subdegree accuracy (0.3 °C). It measures human temperature within the clinically relevant range of 31.7–39.8 °C.
Cheng Jiang, lead author and a postdoctoral fellow in Liang’s laboratory, noted that they can accurately map temperature using a single pixel and smart computation. Jiang is working with QV Studio to explore applications beyond research and to move toward commercialization.
The team aims to improve SPIRIT’s performance and conduct a pilot study in collaboration with healthcare institutions, with the goal of commercialization, making it deployable in schools, clinics, transit hubs, and workplaces. It can reduce false alarms and avoid unnecessary testing costs.
These findings, according to the press release, could help refine fever screening criteria and provide new tools to better prepare Québec and Canada for future epidemic waves.
INRS is an academic institution dedicated exclusively to graduate research and training across several strategic sectors in Quebec. Founded in 1969, its mission is to actively contribute to Quebec’s economic, social, and cultural development. INRS ranks first in Quebec in research intensity.
Contact:
Audrey-Maude Vézina
Communications Department of INRS
418-254-2156
audrey-maude.vezina@inrs.ca
Source: Institut National de la recherche scientifique (INRS)
