Among the world's responses to COVID-19 has been the scramble to utilize progressive technology to address the pandemic – and Cobourg now has its own success story in that chapter with Therma Scans.
This technology - proudly designed and made in Northumberland at Canada’s first Microfactory Co-operative – has been awarded a Class 1 Medical Device Establishment License from Health Canada.
Creators Alex Papanicolaou and Nisha Sarveswaran rose to the challenge back in May, and have been working in collaboration with the Venture 13 Policetech Accelerator and the Cobourg Police Service on an innovative non-contact smart thermal-imaging technology that can accurately measure temperatures in real-time that elicit symptoms of COVID-19 (or other illnesses).
“We are grateful to the Town of Cobourg, Northumberland CFDC, FedDev Ontario and the Policetech Accelerator for the opportunity to make a difference for front-line workers,” said Papanicolaou, co-founder and chief executive officer of ThermaScans.
“The Cobourg Police Service has provided an excellent test bed in a controlled environment to validate the efficacy and efficiency of our technology. The responsiveness and communication with Chief (Paul) VandeGraaf and Thomas Wilson, as well as the support of Cobourg’s interim CAO Ian Davey and his team, have been integral to the rapid deployment of the ThermaScans system.”
The precision of the ThermaScans technology has already led to an early Canada-wide market adoption. It is currently deployed in multiple front-line environments in active use by local municipal and essential services.
The Cobourg police station has also installed the innovative technology in its cell block as a means to take temperature readings of individuals during the booking process.
"Among the key factors driving new technology are innovation and motivation, but the fundamental driver in our view is digital transformation,” Chief VandeGraaf said in the announcement.
“ThermaScans technology assures that individuals are triaged appropriately, preventing further community transmission. By this innovative approach, we are protecting not only the safety of front-line officers, but all the justice system partners.
"Collective efforts between Northumberland CFDC, CPS, and the V13 Policetech Accelerator is focused at the development and implementation of innovative policing technologies and best practices for community safety in Ontario and around the world."
The ThermaScans app is available on Google Play and the iOS.
