IR THERMOMETER THERMAL ISOLATION TIP ASSEMBLY

• US 20100284436A1
• Filed: 05/05/2009
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Quinn, David E., Meyerson, Craig M., Martin, Scott A., Lane, John A., Stone, Ray D., Mullin, Matthew D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,136,985 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/121
• 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 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/021 Probe covers for thermometers, e.g. tympanic thermometers; Containers for probe covers; Disposable probes

Abstract

An IR tip assembly includes a shroud having at least one feature that permits releasable attachment of a disposable cover fitted to a shroud. When the disposable cover is fitted to the shroud, at least one air gap is defined between the shroud and the disposable cover. An IR sensor disposed within the IR tip assembly is mechanically and thermally coupled to a heat sink. The at least one defined air gap creates a thermal isolation between the disposable cover and the disposed IR sensor. There can also be airflow through the at least one air gap. Apparatus and methods to create the airflow are described.

Claims

1. An IR tip assembly comprising:

an IR sensor having an IR sensor base and an IR sensor side surface, said IR sensor disposed within said IR tip assembly;

a heat sink, mechanically and thermally coupled to said IR sensor base; and

a shroud overlying said IR sensor and said heat sink, said shroud including at least one cover attachment feature, said shroud being thermally isolated from said IR sensor side surface and said shroud configured to releasably accept a disposable cover such that when said disposable cover is attached to said shroud at least one air gap is defined between said shroud and said disposable cover.

2. The tip assembly of claim 1, wherein a base of said shroud includes an annular protruding section, said protruding section being adapted to releasably accept a base of said disposable cover.

3. The tip assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one feature includes at least one raised contact element on an exterior of said shroud.

4. The tip assembly of claim 3, wherein said at least one raised contact element comprises a nub.

5. The tip assembly of claim 3, wherein said at least one raised contact element comprises at least one rib.

6. The tip assembly of claim 5, wherein said at least one rib comprises at least a selected one of a linear rib, a spiral rib, and a circular rib.

7. The tip assembly of claim 5, wherein a plurality of ribs are disposed on said exterior of said shroud in a substantially linear pattern, each rib running from a proximal end to a distal end of said shroud.

8. The tip assembly of claim 5, wherein a plurality of ribs are disposed on said exterior of said shroud in a substantially linear pattern, each rib having a length dimension that is less than the length from said proximal end to said distal end.

9. The tip assembly of claim 5, including a plurality of rib segments distributed along said exterior of said shroud.

10. The tip assembly of claim 1, including a gap of at least 0.002″

between a portion of an inner surface of said disposable cover and the exterior of said shroud when said cover is attached.

11. The tip assembly of claim 1, wherein said shroud is a part of said heat sink.

12. The tip assembly of claim 11, wherein said heat sink comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of steel, brass, copper, copper alloy, aluminum, and aluminum alloy.

13. The tip assembly of claim 1, wherein said tip assembly further comprises at least one air gap between said IR sensor side surface and said shroud.

14. The tip assembly of claim 13, wherein said tip assembly further comprises a plurality of insulative members between said IR sensor side surface and said shroud.

15. The tip assembly of claim 1, wherein said tip assembly is threadedly attached to an IR thermometer body.

16. The tip assembly of claim 15, wherein an additional layer of insulative material overlays said shroud and said at least one cover attachment feature is disposed at least in part on an outer surface of said an additional layer of insulative material.

17. An IR thermometer comprising:

an IR tip assembly according to claim 1; and

a microcomputer-based circuit electrically coupled to said IR sensor, said microcomputer-based circuit configured to accept an electrical signal from said IR sensor and to generate a mammalian body temperature based at least in part on said electrical signal from said IR sensor.

18. The IR thermometer of claim 17, further comprising a micro fan blower.

19. The IR thermometer of claim 17, further comprising an IR thermometer body having at least one squeezable air chamber.

20. The IR thermometer of claim 17, further comprising a pneumatically attached air bulb.

21. The IR thermometer of claim 17, further comprising an air piston mechanically coupled to a temperature measure trigger.

22. A method to enhance the thermal isolation of an IR thermometer IR sensor during a temperature measurement comprises the steps of:

providing an IR thermometer having at least one air gap disposed between an IR sensor and a disposable cover; and

causing airflow through said at least one air gap during a temperature measurement to reduce a temperature change of said IR sensor caused by undesired heat flow across said disposable cover.

23. The method of claim 22, where said step of causing airflow comprises causing airflow through said at least one air gap by squeezing an air chamber on an IR thermometer body.

24. The method of claim 22, where said step of causing airflow comprises causing airflow through said at least one air gap by squeezing an air bulb pneumatically coupled to said air gap.

25. The method of claim 22, where said step of causing airflow comprises causing airflow through said at least one air gap by air pressure from a micro blower.

26. The method of claim 22, where said step of causing airflow comprises causing airflow through said at least one air gap by air pressure from a pneumatic piston that moves when an IR temperature measurement trigger is pulled.