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Yes. University of Washington researchers built a wireless prototype called the Thermal Earring, designed to track temperature at the earlobe and send readings to a smartphone. But it measures skin temperature—not core body temperature—and its small preliminary studies do not establish it as a diagnostic device. The research describes a promising wearable concept, not a proven replacement for a thermometer or a confirmed consumer product.
What the Thermal Earring is
The Thermal Earring is a small research prototype shaped like an earring. It combines an earlobe-facing temperature sensor with a second sensor that hangs below the ear, a battery, Bluetooth electronics and an antenna. A smartphone app displays and saves the readings. The prototype uses a magnetic attachment, and the researchers tested decorative resin and gemstone elements that could be incorporated without materially affecting reported sensing performance.
UW’s clinical-news summary gives its approximate dimensions as 11.3 mm wide by 31 mm long and its weight as 335 mg. The paper reports power consumption of about 14.4 microwatts. These are prototype specifications, not guaranteed specifications for a future retail device. (UW Department of Emergency Medicine; research paper)
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The researchers chose the earlobe as a location close to the head that an earring could contact consistently over time. A watch sits on an exposed, moving extremity; its fit, movement and surroundings can affect skin-temperature readings. An earring may offer steadier contact and a less conventional wearable form factor, although the study does not establish that it is more reliable for every person or situation.
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The design’s second sensor is important. The sensor against the earlobe measures the wearer’s local skin temperature; the lower sensor estimates the surrounding temperature. Comparing the two can help the system account for environmental changes—such as a warmer room—rather than interpreting every rise at the earlobe as a change in the wearer. That compensation is useful, but it does not remove every possible source of interference, including sunlight, airflow, device position, clothing contact or movement.
What the UW study found
The paper, published in December 2023 in the Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies, reports several investigations of the prototype. During rest, earlobe readings remained stable within approximately ±0.32°C. In a limited comparison under resting conditions, the earring performed better than a smartwatch at sensing skin temperature. That result is narrow: it is not evidence that the earring outperforms all watches, clinical thermometers or medical devices.
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The researchers also examined temperature patterns during everyday activities and acute stressors. They reported associations with eating, exercise and events such as public speaking or exams. Those observations point to possible research uses; they do not mean the prototype can reliably identify stress, activity or a meal as a consumer feature. Directly measuring temperature is different from inferring what caused a change.
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The paper’s fever-related investigation included five febrile participants and 20 healthy participants. UW’s summary describes the broader group as 25 people, including four whose temperatures were above 100°F, one at 99.7°F and 20 healthy participants. GeekWire reported an average earlobe-temperature difference of 10.62°F between the five patients with fever and the 20 healthy participants. This is an early finding from a small group, not a validated fever threshold or a measure of how often the device would miss fever or falsely flag it. The reports do not establish clinical sensitivity, specificity or false-positive and false-negative rates. (paper; UW summary; GeekWire report)
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Does it measure core body temperature?
No, not directly. The Thermal Earring measures temperature at the surface of the earlobe. Core temperature refers to the temperature of internal tissues; a skin reading is not automatically equivalent to it. Earlobe temperature may reflect physiological changes and could prove useful for following trends, but this research does not show that each reading can be substituted for a clinical temperature measurement.
For a suspected fever, use an appropriate thermometer and follow its instructions. Do not use an earlobe-temperature trend—or any general-purpose wearable reading—to diagnose an illness, rule one out or decide whether treatment is working.
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Battery life and everyday wear
The researchers report approximately 28 days of battery life in real-world testing. The low-power design sends readings over Bluetooth and then enters a deep-sleep state between measurements, rather than maintaining a higher-power continuous connection. That is a notable result for a compact wearable, but it is a result for this research prototype, not a promise about a commercial version.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteThe study also does not establish that the earring would fit or feel comfortable for everyone over long periods. A magnetic clip may not suit every ear; pressure, irritation, allergies, detachment, hair or clothing catching the hanging sensor, anatomy and sleeping comfort are all practical considerations for a wearable in this position. The available research should not be read as proof of universal fit or all-day comfort.
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Could it monitor more than temperature?
The researchers discuss potential uses such as fever or ovulation monitoring and the broader idea of smart jewelry, including possible future earring or necklace sensors. These are research directions, not demonstrated product functions. Ovulation, stress and other health states cannot be inferred reliably from a temperature change alone without suitable algorithms and additional validation.
Can you buy the UW Thermal Earring?
The sources describe it as a prototype, and the reviewed material does not identify a consumer sales channel, price or retail product. The widely circulated news coverage appeared in February 2024; the underlying paper dates to December 2023. A reader looking for a temperature check today should choose a digital thermometer designed for that purpose. Smartwatches and rings may offer wellness trends, but their temperature features are not interchangeable with a clinical thermometer or with this specific earlobe-sensing prototype.
For watch buyers, the most useful takeaway is about wearable design: an earring could provide a different place to collect continuous skin-temperature data, with a reported month-long prototype battery life. The evidence is intriguing, but it remains a research demonstration—not a new fever-monitoring watch or a clinically established thermometer.
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