Thermometer

• US 20050154327A1
• Filed: 11/08/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakazawa, Tsutomu
• Application Number:
  US10/983,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20050154327A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/549
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 15/00 Testing or calibrating of thermometers

Abstract

In some embodiments, a thermometer is disclosed that can be used in combination with a reader for reading temperature information of a patient from the thermometer pad. In some examples, the thermometer includes, e.g., a thermal sensor that changes in resistance in response to temperature changes, a memory, and a temperature correction circuit. The memory stores, in advance, a temperature difference between an expected measured temperature as a true temperature and an actually measured temperature corresponding to the expected measured temperature obtained by converting an analog signal from the thermal sensor into a digital signal as a correction value. The temperature correction circuit corrects a temperature measured in an actual use with the correction value.

Claims

1. A thermometer, comprising:

a thermal sensor that changes in resistance in response to temperature changes;

a memory; and

a temperature correction circuit,

wherein the memory stores, in advance, a temperature difference between an expected measured temperature as a true temperature and an actually measured temperature corresponding to the expected measured temperature obtained by converting an analog signal from the thermal sensor into a digital signal as a correction value, and

wherein the temperature correction circuit corrects a temperature measured in an actual use with the correction value.

2. The thermometer as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal sensor is a thermistor.

12. The thermometer as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermometer is an adhesive thermometer pad used for measuring a body temperature of a patient for clinical purposes.

3. A thermometer to be used in combination with a reader for reading temperature information from the thermometer, the thermometer, comprising:

an antenna portion for receiving a radio wave emitted from a reader;

an electric power generating portion for generating electric power with the radio wave received by the antenna portion;

a thermal sensor that changes in resistance in response to temperature changes;

an A/D converter for converting an analog signal from the thermal sensor into a digital signal;

an output portion for wirelessly outputting temperature information toward the reader;

a memory; and

a temperature correction circuit,

wherein the memory stores, in advance, a temperature difference between an expected measured temperature as a true temperature and an actually measured temperature corresponding to the expected measured temperature obtained by converting an analog signal from the thermal sensor into a digital signal as a correction value,

wherein the temperature correction circuit corrects a temperature measured in an actual use with the correction value to obtain a corrected temperature, and

wherein temperature information including the corrected temperature is wirelessly outputted toward the reader from the output portion via the antenna portion.

4. The thermometer as recited in claim 3, wherein the thermal sensor is a thermistor.

13. The thermometer as recited in claim 3, wherein the thermometer is an adhesive thermometer pad used for measuring a body temperature of a patient for clinical purposes.

5. A thermometer to be used in combination with a reader for reading temperature information from the thermometer, the thermometer, comprising:

an antenna portion for receiving a radio wave emitted from a reader;

an electric power generating portion for generating electric power with the radio wave received by the antenna portion;

a thermal sensor that changes in resistance in response to temperature changes;

an A/D converter for converting an analog signal from the thermal sensor into a digital signal;

an output portion for wirelessly outputting temperature information toward the reader;

a memory; and

a temperature correction circuit,

wherein the memory stores, in advance, at least one expected measured temperature as a true temperature and at least one actually measured temperature corresponding to the at least one expected measured temperature obtained by converting the analog signal from the thermal sensor into the digital signal,

wherein the temperature correction circuit corrects a temperature measured in an actual use with a ratio of the at least one actually measured temperature to the at least one expected measured temperature as a true temperature to obtain a corrected temperature, and

wherein temperature information including the corrected temperature is wirelessly outputted toward the reader from the output portion via the antenna portion.

6. The thermometer as recited in claim 5, wherein the thermal sensor is a thermistor.

14. The thermometer as recited in claim 5, wherein the thermometer is an adhesive thermometer pad used for measuring a body temperature of a patient for clinical purposes.

7. A thermometer to be used in combination with a reader for reading temperature information from the thermometer, the thermometer, comprising:

an antenna portion for receiving a radio wave emitted from a reader;

an electric power generating portion for generating electric power with the radio wave received by the antenna portion;

a thermal sensor that changes in resistance in response to temperature changes;

an A/D converter for converting an analog signal from the thermal sensor into a digital signal;

an output portion for wirelessly outputting temperature information toward the reader;

a memory; and

a temperature correction circuit,

wherein the memory stores, in advance, a plurality of expected measured temperatures as true temperatures and a plurality of actually measured temperatures each corresponding to each of the plurality of expected measured temperatures obtained by converting the analog signal from the thermal sensor into the digital signal,

wherein the temperature correction circuit corrects a temperature measured in an actual use with a temperature difference between the expected measured temperature and the actually measured temperature corresponding to the temperature measured in an actual use to obtain a corrected temperature, and

wherein temperature information including the corrected temperature is wirelessly outputted toward the reader from the output portion via the antenna portion.

8. The thermometer as recited in claim 7, wherein the thermal sensor is a thermistor.

9. The thermometer as recited in claim 7, wherein the temperature correction circuit changes the temperature difference as a correction value depending on a divided temperature range corresponding to the temperature measured in an actual use.

10. The thermometer as recited in claim 7, wherein the temperature correction circuit changes the temperature difference as a correction value depending on the temperature measured in an actual use using a mathematical formula.

15. The thermometer as recited in claim 7, wherein the thermometer is an adhesive thermometer pad used for measuring a body temperature of a patient for clinical purposes.

11. A thermometer to be used in combination with a reader for reading temperature information from the thermometer, the thermometer, comprising:

an antenna portion for receiving a radio wave emitted from a reader;

an electric power generating portion for generating electric power with the radio wave received by the antenna portion;

a thermal sensor that changes in resistance in response to temperature changes;

an A/D converter for converting an analog signal from the thermal sensor into a digital signal;

an output portion for wirelessly outputting temperature information toward the reader;

a memory;

a temperature correction circuit; and

a control circuit,

wherein the memory stores, in advance, temperature differences between a plurality of expected measured temperatures as true temperatures and a plurality of actually measured temperatures corresponding to each of the plurality of the expected measured temperatures each obtained by converting an analog signal from the thermal sensor into a digital signal as a correction value, and

wherein the control circuit controls the output portion so that the output portion transmits the temperature measured in an actual use and the correction value corresponding to the temperature measured in an actual use toward the reader from the output portion via the antenna portion.

16. The thermometer as recited in claim 11, wherein the thermometer is an adhesive thermometer pad used for measuring a body temperature of a patient for clinical purposes.