Deep tissue temperature probe constructions

• US 20100268114A1
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solventum Intellectual Properties Company (Solventum Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Arizant Healthcare Inc. (3M Company)
• Inventors: Van Duren, Albert P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,068,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/549
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0271 Thermal or temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0276 comprising a thermosensitive compound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• 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 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• 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 disposable, zero-heat-flux, deep tissue temperature probe is constructed using a support assembly with multiple sections folded together or separated into strata during assembly of the probe. The sections support elements of the probe, including thermal sensors and a thermal resistor between the thermal sensors. Optionally, one of the sections supports a heater.

Claims

1. A deep tissue temperature probe with a support assembly comprising:

a two-sided substrate;

a plurality of sections defined in the substrate, in which each section is joined to at least one adjacent section at a common peripheral location;

two thermal sensors, each supported on a respective one of two adjacent sections;

the two adjacent sections folded together at a common peripheral location joining the two sections; and

,

a thermal resistor disposed between the two thermal sensors.

2. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sections are the two adjacent sections, each of the two thermal sensors is mounted on a major support surface of a respective one of the two sections, and the sections are folded together in clam shell fashion such that the two thermal sensors face each other.

3. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sections are three sections, each section has opposing major support surfaces, a first thermal sensor is mounted on a first major support surface of a first section of the two adjacent sections, the second thermal sensor is mounted on a second major support surface of the second section of the two adjacent sections, and the three sections are folded together such that the two thermal sensors face in the same direction.

4. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 3, further comprising a heater positioned to sandwich one of the two adjacent sections between itself and the other of the two adjacent sections.

5. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 4, wherein the heater is supported on a major support surface of the third section.

6. A deep tissue temperature probe with a support assembly comprising:

a sheet of flexible material with two sides;

two sections defined in the sheet;

the two sections joined at a peripheral location;

two thermal sensors, each supported on a respective one of the two sections;

the two sections folded together at the common peripheral location; and

,

a thermal resistor disposed between the two thermal sensors.

7. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 6, wherein each of the thermal sensors is a thermocouple.

8. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 7, wherein the two sections are folded together in clam shell fashion such that the thermal sensors are disposed in a stacked configuration.

9. A deep tissue temperature probe with a support structure comprising:

a flexible sheet of material with two sides;

at least three sections defined in the sheet;

each section joined to at least one adjacent section at a common peripheral location;

two thermal sensors, each supported on a respective one of two adjacent sections;

the three sections folded together; and

,

a thermal resistor disposed between the two thermal sensors.

10. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 9, wherein each section has opposing major support surfaces, a first thermal sensor is mounted on a first major support surface of a first section of the two adjacent sections, the second thermal sensor is mounted on a second major support surface of the second section of the two adjacent sections, and the three sections are folded together such that the two thermal sensors face in the same direction.

11. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 10, further comprising a heater positioned to sandwich one of the two adjacent sections between itself and the other of the two adjacent sections.

12. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 11, wherein the heater is supported on a major support surface of the third section.

13. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 12, wherein the thermal sensors are thermocouples.

14. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 13, wherein each thermocouple includes a copper disk supported on a surface of a respective section and a chromel wire attached to the chromel wire at a thermocouple junction.

15. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 9, wherein the sheet is a flexible sheet of thermally insulating material.

16. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 15, wherein the sheet is coated with a copper film on each side.

17. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 16, wherein each copper film is etched to form an element of a respective one of the thermal sensors.

18. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 17, wherein the thermal sensors are thermocouples.

19. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 16, further comprising a heater positioned to sandwich one of the two thermal sensors between itself and the other of the two thermal sensors.

20. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 19, wherein one copper film is etched to form the heater.

21. A deep tissue temperature probe with a support structure comprising:

a substrate with two sides;

a heater disposed on a periphery of the substrate;

two support sections defined in the substrate and disposed within the periphery;

two thermal sensors, each supported on a respective one of the support sections; and

,

a thermal resistor disposed between and separating the respective sections supporting the thermal sensors into strata.

22. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 21, in which the substrate has a circumferential periphery and the two support sections are disposed in an opposing or an adjacent relationship, inwardly of the periphery.

23. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 22, in which the substrate has the shape of an annulus with the heater disposed thereon and the two support sections project inwardly of the annulus.

24. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 22, further comprising a lead support tab projecting outwardly of the circumferential periphery and leads on the lead support tab for the heater and the thermal sensors.

25. The deep tissue temperature probe of claim 22, in which the thermal sensors are thermocouples.