METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MEASURING THE INTERNAL BODY TEMPERATURE OF A PATIENT

• US 20130215928A1
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tecnimed SRL
• Original Assignee: Tecnimed SRL
• Inventors: Bellifemine, Francesco
• Application Number:
  US13/700,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20130215928A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/121
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• 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: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0022 for sensing the radiation of moving bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0025 Living bodies ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/026 Control of working procedures of a pyrometer, other than calibration; Bandwidth calculation; Gain control
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0275 Control or determination of height or distance or angle information for sensors or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/064 Ambient temperature sensor; Housing temperature sensor; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/80 Calibration using comparison with reference sources G01J5/52

Abstract

A method for determining a body temperature of a patient or subject is disclosed, in which a contactless infrared thermometer is manually positioned such as to point at a target area, and by activating the thermometer such that it measures the internal temperature of a patient and reads, via the thermometer, and for a predetermined time interval, the intensity of an infrared radiation in arrival from the target area. The target area is a body surface of a human or animal patient selected from a body location group comprising the ethmoid sinus, the canthus, the open eyelid or the closed eyelid.

Claims

1. A method of measuring a temperature comprising following steps:

positioning a contactless infrared thermometer at a predetermined distance from a target area of a subject, when it is desired to know the subject'"'"'s internal body temperature;

pointing at the target area such that an infrared radiation sensor of the thermometer can receive infrared radiations coming from the target area;

activating the contactless infrared thermometer in order to measure the internal temperature of the patient;

detecting, using the contactless infrared thermometer and for a determined time interval, an intensity of an infrared radiation coming at least from the target area of the subject;

wherein the target area is a surface of the body of either a human patient or an animal, which surface is selected from a group consisting of the ethmoid sinus, the canthus, or the closed eyelid.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising a stage of correcting a temperature of the target area, which is a function of an intensity of infrared radiation detected, in order to determine the internal temperature.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising a stage of supporting the thermometer manually during all the stages of positioning, pointing, activating and detecting.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the stage of positioning the thermometer at a predetermined distance is performed by either nearing or distancing the thermometer from the subject in a fixed position or either nearing or distancing the subject from a thermometer in a fixed position up to reaching the predetermined distance.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising a stage of closing at least an eye and detecting an intensity of an infrared radiation coming from the closed upper eyelid, the target area being the upper eyelid.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising a step of measuring an ambient temperature and a step of correcting either the temperature of the target area or the internal temperature as a function of the measured ambient temperature.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising a step of controlling a correctness of the ambient temperature used for correcting the temperature of the target area or the internal temperature.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of activating the contactless infrared thermometer is a step of manually activating the thermometer by pressing at least a button located thereon.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein after having activated the infrared thermometer, a timer begins a countdown, the detection of radiation being effected for a predetermined time during the count-down and up to the end of the count-down.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the contactless infrared thermometer comprises a television camera, the step of pointing at the target area comprising sub-steps of acquiring an image coming from a predefined area, performing an identification of the target area, considering infrared radiation coming from only the target area for the purpose of determining the temperature.

11. A method of measuring a temperature of a subject comprising following steps:

positioning a contactless infrared thermometer at a predetermined distance from a target area of a subject, when it is desired to know the subject'"'"'s internal body temperature;

pointing at the target area such that an infrared radiation sensor of the thermometer can receive infrared radiations coming from the target area;

manually activating the contactless infrared thermometer in order to measure the internal temperature of the patient by pressing at least a button located on the infrared thermometer;

detecting, using the contactless infrared thermometer and for a determined time interval, an intensity of an infrared radiation coming at least from the target area of the subject;

correcting a temperature of the target area, which is a function of an intensity of infrared radiation detected, in order to determine the internal temperature;

closing at least an eye and detecting an intensity of an infrared radiation coming from the closed upper eyelid, the target area being the upper eyelid; and

wherein a support of the thermometer is manually done during all the steps of positioning, pointing, activating and detecting.