Tympanic Thermometer Get fast, accurate and easy-to-read results with Medline's Tympanic Thermometer with Quick Probe Release. This ear thermometer is designed as a comfortable and convenient method for taking a person's body temperature. No embarrassing or invasive procedures; you simply place the thermometer in the ear to get a reading within seconds. It's perfectly suited for both home and clinical use on patients of all ages. Plus, its unique mechanical probe release helps reduce cross contamination, allowing you to easily change probe covers with every use! Why an ear thermometer? It turns out that the eardrum is an extremely accurate point to measure body temperature from because it is recessed inside the head (just like your tongue). Instead of touching the eardrum with a thermometer, the tympanic thermometer uses an infrared sensor to measure the temperature of energy radiating from the eardrum.