Means and apparatus for rapid, accurate, non-contact measurement of the core temperature of animals and humans

• US 20030142723A1
• Filed: 01/24/2003
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vital Accuracy Partners
• Original Assignee: Jack C. Laurence, James D. King, Laird W. Laurence
• Inventors: Laurence, Laird W., Laurence, Jack C., King, James D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,336,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/121
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0022 for sensing the radiation of moving bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0025 Living bodies ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/064 Ambient temperature sensor; Housing temperature sensor; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/07 Arrangements for adjusting the solid angle of collected radiation, e.g. adjusting or orienting field of view, tracking position or encoding angular position optical collimating elements G01J5/0806
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0801 Means for wavelength selection or discrimination
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/70 Passive compensation of pyrometer measurements, e.g. using ambient temperature sensing or sensing of temperature within housing
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/006 using measurement of the effect of a material on microwaves or longer electromagnetic waves, e.g. measuring temperature via microwaves emitted by the object G01K17/003, G01J5/00 take precedence; measuring the effect of a material on X-, gamma- or particle radiation G01K11/30

Abstract

A method and apparatus for measuring the core temperature of an animal or human. Emissions from the eyeball are detected, at one or more wavelengths selected on the basis of various factors, including the ability of that wavelength to reach the interior of the eyeball. An illumination marker shines a spot of light on the eyeball, such that the spot corresponds to the area from which emissions are being detected.

Claims

1. A device for measuring the core temperature of a subject animal or human, comprising:

a sensor unit, the sensor unit having a filter operable to permit only selected wavelengths of thermal emissions to be detected, and having a detector operable to detect the selected wavelengths of thermal emissions from the eyeball of the subject and to generate a signal corresponding to the emissions;

an amplifier unit for amplifying the signal from the sensor unit and for generating an amplified signal;

a data processing unit for converting the amplified signal to data representing temperature; and

a display for displaying the temperature data and the identification code.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit detects infrared emissions.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit detects millimeter wavelength emissions.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit detects micrometer wavelength emissions.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit detects more than one wavelength.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit has a single light path for a single wavelength.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit has more than one light path for detecting more than one wavelength.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a calibration unit for delivering calibration data to the data processing unit.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a thermometer for measuring ambient temperature proximate the device.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a light shield for shielding the sensor unit from thermal emissions unrelated to emissions from the eye.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising an illumination marker operable to emit a beam of visible light corresponding to a receiving area of the sensor unit.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising an identification sensor for detecting an identification code associated with the subject.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the filter passes wavelengths from 1000-2500 nanometers.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the filter passes wavelengths from 1600-1800 nanometers.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the filter passes wavelengths from 2150-2350 nanometers.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the filter passes wavelengths from 1600-1800 and 2150-2350 nanometers.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit is operable to detect thermal emissions from a first bandwidth and a second bandwidth, wherein the first bandwidth is wider than the second bandwidth;

and wherein the data processing unit is further operable to compare the detected amplitude of the signal from the first bandwidth to the amplitude of the signal from the second bandwidth, and to compensate the temperature data based on the comparison.

18. A method of measuring core temperature of a subject animal or human, comprising the steps of:

filtering thermal emissions from the eyeball of the subject, such that only selected wavelengths pass through the filter;

detecting the filtered thermal emissions;

generating an emission signal corresponding to the emissions;

receiving the emission signal at a data processing unit;

converting the emission signal to data representing temperature; and

displaying the temperature and identification data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of detecting emissions is performed by detecting a wavelength appropriate for a particular depth into the eyeball.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of detecting emissions is performed by controlling the effective sensing area of a detector by means of the focusing and aperture restricting properties of the detector.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of calibrating the temperature measurement based on data from rectal thermometry measurements.

22. Th method of claim 18, further comprising the step of measuring ambient temperature and compensating the temperature measurement with the ambient temperature measurement.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of detecting emissions is performed by detecting multi-spectral thermal radiation data.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of detecting identification data is performed by reading data from a tag which is attached to or inserted into the subject being measured.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of storing the identification data and the core temperature data.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of detecting thermal emissions is performed with a sensor unit and further comprising the step of maintaining the sensor unit at a constant temperature during the detecting step.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of detecting thermal emissions is performed with a sensor unit and further comprising the step of cooling the sensor unit during the detecting step.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of detecting identification data associated with the subject.

29. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of illuminating an area on the eye corresponding to the detection area of the detecting step.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein the filtering step passes wavelengths from 1000-2500 nanometers.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein the filtering step passes wavelengths from 1600-1800 nanometers.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein the filtering step passes wavelengths from 2150-2350 nanometers.

33. The method of claim 18, wherein the filtering step passes wavelengths from 1600-1800 and 2150-2350 nanometers.

34. A method of measuring core temperature of a subject animal or human, comprising the steps of:

detecting thermal emissions from the eyeball of the subject;

generating an emission signal corresponding to the emissions;

illuminating an area on the eye corresponding to the detection area of the detecting step;

detecting identification data associated with the subject;

receiving the emission signal and the identification code at a data processing unit;

converting the emission signal to data representing temperature; and

displaying the temperature and identification data.