Electronic clinical thermometer

• US 20050163190A1
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Nakajima, Satoshi, Tokita, Muneo, Makita, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 7,284,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/16 Special arrangements for conducting heat from the object to the sensitive element
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/42 Circuits effecting compensation of thermal inertia; Circuits for predicting the stationary value of a temperature

Abstract

An electronic clinical thermometer has a probe including a temperature sensor and a heat flux sensor which are controlled to make measurements at specified time intervals. The measured values are used in solving the equation of heat conduction to estimate the temperature of an internal body position. A heater may be included to preheat a body part in order to reduce the time required for measurement. The probe may use two temperature sensors to measure temperatures at two body surface positions through insulating members which are different in thermal conductivity.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. An electronic clinical thermometer comprising:

a constant-temperature heater for providing a specified temperature;

a temperature sensor for measuring temperature;

a controller for controlling said temperature sensor and said constant-temperature heater to make measurements at specified time intervals;

a memory for storing said specified temperature and measured values obtained by said temperature sensor; and

a calculator for calculating estimated temperature at a specified internal body position by using said specified temperature and said measured values.

15. The thermometer of claim 14 further comprising a thermally insulating member disposed between said temperature sensor and said constant-temperature heater.

16. The thermometer of claim 14 further comprising a probe which is planar and contains said temperature sensor.

17. The thermometer of claim 15 further comprising a probe which is planar and contains said temperature sensor.