By Healthcare Facilities Today

Sparta, NJ - Testo AG has clearly illustrated its technological process, keen understanding of customer needs, and ability to address key market challenges.  Based on its recent analysis of thermography in building inspection, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Testo AG with the 2013 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for Price Performance Value Leadership. Testo's latest range of products, the Testo 870, 875, 875i, 876, 882, 885, and 890, are some of the most competitively priced thermal imagers in the market. The price difference between Testo's products and its closest competitors is sometimes as much as 20 to 25 percent.

Testo AG develops and delivers advanced portable measurement equipment and solutions that cater to the latest technological requirements of the thermography equipment market. It recently launched a patent-pending technology, SuperResolution, which is sold as a value-adding accessory to its existing product line. With a simplified firmware upgrade to the thermography camera, the SuperResolution captures multiple images, overlaying and registering on top of each other to create images of unprecedented resolution, normally found in the $20,000 price range.

In thermography applications, it is crucial to consistently detect the tiniest or most distant objects. The SuperResolution technology produces thermal images that are four times clearer and more detailed than other technologies. It uses natural hand movements and takes multiple images, one after another, in slightly offset positions in a quick sequence. Testo AG’s special algorithm uses the additional information and readings to create a higher-resolution image of the object.

"Testo's SuperResolution feature consists of different mechanisms, which are combined to achieve maximum image enhancement,” said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Aravind Govindan. "Images are likely to be sharper with the help of deconvolution, a system that enables the camera to reconstruct the input signal by recalculating the output signal with the optical attributes of the lens. Further, the camera uses the natural tremor of the user's hands to capture multiple images at once (supersampling)."

Testo AG’s thermography products are available in both pistol and camcorder designs. The

sophisticated ergonomics, such as joystick pattern keys, and fold-out and rotatable display, make it extremely easy to use and carry. Furthermore, Testo thermal imagers are equipped with competitive and convenient features, such as the auto focus mode, which reduces the concerns of properly focusing a measurement object, or the SiteRecognition technology, which is an intelligent database system with automatic recognition of the measurement site.

Simple yet useful features, such as the ability to open multiple images to compare, insert comments, export corrected infrared images in different file formats, and automatically generate reports, are key value-added features in Testo's products.

"Testo AG is the pioneer of a wide range of thermography equipment and firmware- and software-based features. Aside from the price, performance and value, SuperResolution and thermography equipment offer a number of features and capabilities that meet the diverse needs of a variety of users," noted Govindan. "It has aptly engineered its product's features and pricing to meet the growing demand for thermography equipment in the building inspection industry; about 80 percent of Testo AG thermography equipment is sold with SuperResolution technology."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to a company that has developed a product which suits the market and client needs. The award lauds the price competitiveness, features, ease of use of the product as well as the service effectiveness of the recipient company.