Method and articles for sensing relative temperature

• US 20080279253A1
• Filed: 05/10/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: MacDonald, John Gavin, Martin, Stephanie M., Arehart, Kelly D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,029,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/162
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/002 with controlled internal environment
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1281 with incorporated means for medical monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/12 using changes in colour, translucency or reflectance
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/00 Application of thermometers in household appliances
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/08 giving differences of values using thermoelectric elements G01K7/02; giving differentiated values

Abstract

A method for determining the relative body temperature of a warm-bodied animal is described. The method, in part, involves an article of manufacture that provides a manifestation, or visually observable indication on an exterior surface, of a relative state of the warm-bodied animal'"'"'s body temperature, either being too cold or too hot, as a measure against relative levels of hypothermia or hyperthermia, or poor circulation.

Claims

1. A method for sensing relative body temperature, the method comprising:

a) providing at least one of the following;

a garment or a protective article that is made from either a woven or nonwoven material containing a temperature sensitive dye or colorant;

b) applying the garment or protective article to a warm-blooded body, and c) monitoring for an observable change in color of the garment or protective article.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said observable color change exhibits a Δ

E value greater than three (>

3).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said observable color change exhibits a Δ

E value of greater than or equal to five (≧

5).

4. A method for visually indicating relative body temperature comprising:

providing a garment or protective article that has at least two thermochromic dyes or colorants, each dye or colorant being visually reactive within a particular temperature range;

placing said garment or protective article over or against a mammalian body;

observing a color change in said garment or protective article of a Δ

E value greater than three (>

3); and

correlating said color change with a temperature range.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said thermochromic dye or colorant is sensitive to a temperature within a range from about 0°

C. to about 42°

C.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said thermochromic dye or colorant is sensitive to a temperature within a range from about 32°

C. to about 38°

C.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein said thermochromic dye or colorant is present in combination with a non-temperature sensitive dye or colorant to achieve unexpected color transitions to be possible.

8. The method according to claim 4 where said color change exhibits a Δ

E value greater than or equal to twenty (≧

20).

9. A device for monitoring a rate of temperature change of a body that involves using a non-electronic visual indicator for sensing relative body temperature, said device being part of a garment or a protective article that is made from either a woven or nonwoven material containing a temperature sensitive dye or colorant, such that an optical or colored indicative mechanism exhibits a Δ

E value greater than three (>

3).

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein said garment or protective article that has at least two thermochromic dyes or colorants, each dye or colorant being visually reactive within a particular temperature range, and exhibits an optical color change of a Δ

E value greater or equal to five (≧

5).

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein said temperature range is within the body temperature range of a living mammalian animal.

12. The device according to claim 9, wherein said device monitors for temperature sensing at body extremities of human hands, fingers, feet, toes or other animal counterparts.

13. The device according to claim 9, wherein said thermochromic dyes or colorants that are sensitive to temperature changes from a temperature range from about −

20°

C. to about 42°

C.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein said temperature range is from about 34-38°

C., and causes an observable a color change in said garment or protective article of Δ

E≧

15.

15. A method for teaching a caregiver the use of a temperature monitoring device, the method comprising:

providing a body covering having imparted therein a thermochromic substance that communicates a visually detectable signal at a predetermined temperature or temperature range, and exhibits an observable color change of a Δ

E value greater than three (>

3), contacting said body covering to a warm-blooded body, monitoring a visual change in said body covering, and providing an instruction to said caregiver to follow said method.

16. A article of manufacture comprising a visual indicator having a thermochromic substance that changes color when exposed to a predetermined temperature or temperature range, which when worn or applied to the body of a living mammal communicates to a caregiver relative temperature differences between the mammal'"'"'s core body temperature and the mammal'"'"'s extremities of hands, fingers, feet, toes, or other animal counterparts.

17. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein said article is a garment or protective article that provides a visually observable indication of a relative state of said mammal body temperature for either poor circulation, relative levels of hypothermia or hyperthermia.

18. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein said article has at least two layers of dissimilar temperature sensitive dyes or colorants that are tunable for dissimilar temperature sensing values under either cold or hot conditions.

19. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein said temperature sensitive dyes or colorants are sensitive to a low temperature range from about −

20°

C. to about 10°

C., and a temperature range from about 30°

C. to about 42°

C.

20. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein said article of manufacture exhibits a visual contrast of a Δ

E value of greater than or equal to 10.

21. The article of manufacture according to claim 20, wherein said article of manufacture exhibits a visual contrast of a Δ

E value of greater than or equal to 20.

22. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein said garment or protective article comprises either a woven or nonwoven fabric, or combinations thereof.

23. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein said garment or protective article comprises either a stretchable or nonstretchable film, or combinations thereof.

24. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein said garment or protective article comprises temperature sensing dyes or colorants over at least 10% of a body contacting area.

25. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein said garment or protective article comprises unbonded fabric and either melt or ultrasonic bonded areas, said bonded areas change color as a function of sensing a difference in temperature relative to the rest of said unbonded fabric.