DOUBLE TEMPERATURE SENSOR

• US 20080170600A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG & Company KGaA (FPS Vermögensverwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Dragerwerk Aktiegesellschaft
• Inventors: STARK, Hartmut, SATTLER, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 7,789,554 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 1/165 for application in zero heat flux sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals

Abstract

A double temperature sensor is provided for measuring a near-surface temperature of the ambient air and the temperature of the skin surface (9). A heat flux insulation block (4) is made of an insulation material in one piece as a housing. Two temperature sensor elements (2, 3) with respective electric connections (6) belonging to them are arranged in the heat flux insulation block (4) one on top of another at spaced locations from one another and near the surface.

Claims

1. A double temperature sensor for measuring a near-surface temperature of the ambient air and the temperature of the skin surface, the double temperature sensor comprising:

a heat flux insulation block made in one piece as a housing from an insulation material, said heat flux insulation block having a first surface and a second surface;

two temperature sensor elements with respective electric connections associated with said temperature sensor elements wherein said temperature sensor elements are arranged one on top of another at spaced locations from one another and each near a respective one of said first surface and said second surface.

2. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said heat flux insulation block has two openings for respectively receiving said temperature sensor elements, into which said temperature sensor elements are introduced and fixed.

3. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor elements are embedded in said heat flux insulation block.

4. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein a temperature proportional to said skin temperature is detected by a first temperature sensor element and a temperature proportional to the ambient air is detected by a second temperature sensor element.

5. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the insulation material of said heat flux insulation block is homogeneous.

6. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the insulation material of said heat flux insulation block has a heat conductivity between 0.05 W/mK and 0.3 W/mK.

7. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 6, wherein the insulation material of said heat flux insulation block is made of Polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

8. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein a surface of said heat flux insulation block has an arched shape.

9. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said electric connections of said temperature sensor elements are arranged in said heat flux insulation block in a spiral, circular, meandering, zigzag or star form or in the form of a polygon.

10. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor elements are temperature-dependent electric resistor elements.

11. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor elements are of identical design.

12. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said heat flux insulation block is of a cylindrical shape.

13. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said heat flux insulation block has a reduced material section in an axial direction between said temperature sensor elements.

14. A process for determining the core temperature of a patient, the process comprising the steps of:

providing a heat flux insulation block made in one piece as a housing from an insulation material, said heat flux insulation block having a first surface and a second surface;

disposing a first temperature sensor element in said heat flux insulation block in a location adjacent to said first surface;

connecting a first electric connection to said first temperature sensor element, said first electric connection extending into said heat flux insulation block and extending out of said heat flux insulation block;

disposing a second temperature sensor element in said heat flux insulation block in a location adjacent to said second surface, said first temperature sensor element being arranged at a spaced location from said second temperature sensor;

connecting a second electric connection to said second temperature sensor element, said second electric connection extending into said heat flux insulation block and extending out of said heat flux insulation block;

detecting a temperature proportional to skin temperature of the patient is detected by the first temperature sensor element with the first surface in contact with the skin of the patient;

detecting a temperature proportional to ambient air around the patient by the second temperature sensor element; and

determining the core temperature of the patient based on the detected temperature proportional to skin temperature and temperature proportional to ambient air.

15. A process in accordance with claim 14, wherein said heat flux insulation block has two openings for respectively receiving the first and second temperature sensor elements, into which the first and second temperature sensor elements are introduced and fixed.

16. A process in accordance with claim 14, wherein said first temperature sensor element and said second temperature sensor element are embedded in said heat flux insulation block and the insulation material of said heat flux insulation block is homogeneous.

17. A process in accordance with claim 14, wherein the insulation material of said heat flux insulation block has a heat conductivity between 0.05 W/mK and 0.3 W/mK and the insulation material of said heat flux insulation block is made of Polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

18. A process in accordance with claim 14, wherein electric connections of said first and second temperature sensor elements are arranged in said heat flux insulation block in a spiral, circular, meandering, zigzag or star form or in the form of a polygon.

19. A process in accordance with claim 14, wherein heat flux insulation block has a reduced material section in an axial direction between said first and second temperature sensor elements.

20. A process for the simultaneous measurement of the skin temperature of a patient and the temperature of the patient'"'"'s environment, the process comprising the steps of:

forming a heat flux insulation block made in one piece as a housing from an insulation material, said heat flux insulation block having a first surface and a second surface;

disposing a first temperature sensor element in said heat flux insulation block in a location adjacent to said first surface;

connecting a first electric connection to said first temperature sensor element, said first electric connection extending into said heat flux insulation block and extending out of said heat flux insulation block;

disposing a second temperature sensor element in said heat flux insulation block in a location adjacent to said second surface, said first temperature sensor element being arranged at a spaced location from said second temperature sensor;

connecting a second electric connection to said second temperature sensor element, said second electric connection extending into said heat flux insulation block and extending out of said heat flux insulation block;

detecting a temperature proportional to skin temperature of the patient by the first temperature sensor element with the first surface in contact with the skin of the patient; and

detecting a temperature proportional to ambient air around the patient by the second temperature sensor element.