Ear Thermometer using optical fiber transmission

• US 20100208767A1
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Erik Chen
• Original Assignee: Erik Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Erik
• Application Number:
  US12/378,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20100208767A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/131
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0003 for sensing the radiant heat transfer of samples, e.g. emittance meter
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0011 Ear thermometers G01J5/021 and G01J5/049 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0215 Compact construction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/04 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/049 Casings for tympanic thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0806 Focusing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or concave mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0821 Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0843 Manually adjustable

Abstract

An ear thermometer using optical fiber transmission includes a housing, an optical fiber conductor, a thermal sensor, and a circuit board. When the ear thermometer is used to take a human body temperature, a convex surface at one end of the optical fiber conductor collects thermal radiation caused by the human body temperature inside a human auditory meatus, and the optical fiber conductor transmits the thermal radiation to an opposite end thereof so that a convex surface at the opposite end evenly scatters the thermal radiation toward the thermal sensor. Thereby the thermal sensor senses the thermal radiation and determines the human body temperature accordingly.

Claims

1. An ear thermometer using optical fiber transmission, the ear thermometer primarily comprising:

a housing having therein an accommodating space having a movable structure,

an optical fiber conductor settled in the accommodating space of the housing having two ends each formed with a convex surface, jutting out from the housing,

a thermal sensor settled in the accommodating space of the housing and connected with an end of the optical fiber conductor having four pins, and

a circuit board settled in the accommodating space of the housing being connected with two said pins of the thermal sensor,

wherein the optical fiber conductor receives a thermal radiation from inside a human auditory meatus and transmits the thermal radiation to the thermal sensor so that the thermal sensor detects the thermal radiation and determines a reading of a human body temperature accordingly.

4. The ear thermometer of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber conductor is wrapped by a coat made of an opaque flexible material which can be bent into a desired angle.

6. The ear thermometer of claim 1, wherein the thermal sensor is a thermopile, a pyroelectric element, or a thermistor.

7. The ear thermometer of claim 1, wherein the circuit board is coated with a heat-dissipation layer, therefore heat will not accumulate among the pins.

8. The ear thermometer of claim 1, wherein the ear thermometer comprises a wireless transmission device, set in the bottom of the probe portion.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

5. (canceled)