TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

• US 20140046192A1
• Filed: 08/08/2012
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Mullin, Matthew D., Lane, John A., Quinn, David E., Anson, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,307,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/474
• 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 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/067 using accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0011 Ear thermometers G01J5/021 and G01J5/049 take precedence
• 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 5/0265 Handheld, portable ear thermometers G01J5/049
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0275 Control or determination of height or distance or angle information for sensors or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/12 using thermoelectric elements, e.g. thermocouples
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/48 Thermography; Techniques using wholly visual means
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/223 Infrared clinical thermometers, e.g. tympanic
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A method of determining a temperature of a patient includes measuring a first temperature of the patient with a temperature device without contacting the patient with the device, and measuring a second temperature of the patient by contacting a measurement site of the patient with the device. The method also includes determining a temperature value indicative of a core temperature of the patient based on the first and second temperatures.

Claims

1. A method of determining a temperature of a patient, comprising:

measuring a first temperature of the patient with a temperature device without contacting the patient with the device;

measuring a second temperature of the patient by contacting a measurement site of the patient with the device; and

determining a temperature value indicative of a core temperature of the patient based on the first and second temperatures.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement site comprises at least one of a forehead, an axilla area, a rectal cavity, and an oral cavity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the temperature value comprises modifying the second temperature based on

a) the first temperature and

b) a weight factor associated with at least one of the first and second temperatures.

4. The method of claim 3, further including modifying the weight factor based on the temperature value,

measuring an additional temperature of the patient with the device, and

determining an additional temperature value representative of the core temperature based on the modified weight factor and the additional temperature.

5. The method of claim 1, further including determining an alignment parameter associated with a position of the device relative to the patient while measuring the first temperature, and

determining the temperature value based on the alignment parameter.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the temperature value based on the alignment parameter comprises modifying a weight factor associated with the first temperature based on the alignment parameter.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the alignment parameter comprises at least one of a distance between the device and the patient, and an angle formed between the device and a plane substantially defined by an outer surface of the patient.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the outer surface comprises the measurement site.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the first temperature comprises generating a three-dimensional temperature profile of the patient.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the first temperature comprises sensing temperature from a plurality of different locations on an outer surface of the patient without contacting the plurality of different locations.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein sensing temperature from the plurality of different locations comprises moving a temperature sensor of the device relative to the patient while the device remains stationary relative to the patient.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein sensing temperature from the plurality of different locations comprises moving the device relative to the patient.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein moving the device comprises rotating the device about an axis substantially defined by the patient.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein sensing temperature from the plurality of different locations comprises focusing elements of a sensor array of the device on respective locations of the plurality of different locations.

15. The method of claim 1, further including correlating elements of a sensor array of the device with a location on an outer surface of the patient using an image of the patient, and determining the temperature value based on the correlation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the elements of the sensor array comprise infrared sensing elements and the location on the outer surface comprises an anatomical structure of the patient.

17. The method of claim 1, further including correlating a first sensing element of the device to a first anatomical structure of the patient using an image of the patient illustrating the first anatomical structure,

measuring the first temperature with the first sensing element associated with the first anatomical structure,

correlating a second sensing element of the device to a second anatomical structure of the patient illustrated in the image,

measuring a third temperature with the second sensing element associated with the second anatomical structure and

determining a physical characteristic of the patient, other than the temperature value, based on a comparison between the first and third temperatures.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the physical characteristic comprises one of

a) a disease state,

b) one of the first anatomical structure and the second anatomical structure, and

c) an emotional state.

19. A temperature measurement system, comprising:

a temperature device including

a first temperature sensor configured to determine a first temperature of a patient without contacting the patient with the device, and

a second temperature sensor configured to determine a second temperature of the patient by contacting a measurement site of the patient with a component of the system; and

a controller associated with the device, the controller configured to receive signals indicative of the first and second temperatures from the first and second temperature sensors, and to determine a temperature value indicative of a core temperature of the patient based the first and second temperatures.

20. The system of claim 19, further including a display configured to output the temperature value to a user of the system.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the first sensor comprises a thermopile and the second sensor comprises a thermistor.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the first sensor comprises an array of infrared pixels configured to determine the first temperature by sensing temperature from a plurality of different locations on an outer surface of the patient without contacting the outer surface.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising at least one lens configured to focus a pixel of the array of infrared pixels on a location of the plurality of different locations.

24. The system of claim 19, further including an image processor configured to correlate a sensing element of the first temperature sensor to an anatomical structure of the patient using an image of the patient,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the temperature value based on the correlation.

25. The system of claim 24, further including an imaging device in communication with at least one of the controller and the image processor, the imaging device configured to capture the image of the patient.

26. The system of claim 19, further including a sensor configured to determine an alignment parameter associated with a position of the temperature device relative to the patient, and

a signal device configured to output information to a user of the device indicative of the alignment parameter.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the alignment parameter comprises at least one of a distance between the temperature device and the patient, and an angle formed between the temperature device and a plane substantially defined by an outer surface of the patient.

28. The system of claim 19, further including a mode selector operable to transition the device between

a) a first operating mode wherein the temperature value indicative of the core temperature of the patient is determined based on the first temperature without regard to the second temperature,

b) a second operating mode wherein the temperature value indicative of the core temperature of the patient is determined based on the second temperature without regard to the first temperature, and

c) a third operating mode wherein the temperature value indicative of the core temperature of the patient is determined based on the first and second temperatures.

29. A method of determining a temperature of a patient with a temperature device, comprising:

selecting between at least three operating modes of the temperature device, wherein

in a first operating mode the temperature device is configured to

measure a first temperature of the patient without contacting the patient with the device and

determine a first temperature value indicative of a core temperature of the patient based on the first temperature,

in a second operating mode the temperature device is configured to

measure a second temperature of the patient by contacting a measurement site of the patient with the device and

determine a second temperature value indicative of the core temperature of the patient based on the second temperature, and

in a third operating mode the temperature device is configured to

measure the first and second temperatures of the patient, and

determine a third temperature value indicative of the core temperature of the patient based on the first and second temperatures, wherein

in the first operating mode, the first temperature value is determined without regard to the second temperature and

in the second operating mode, the second temperature value is determined without regard to the first temperature.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein in the third operating mode the temperature device is configured to modify the second temperature based on

a) the first temperature and

b) a weight factor associated with at least one of the first and second temperatures.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein in the first operating mode, the temperature device is configured to obtain noncontact information, compare the noncontact information to a first predetermined threshold, and recommend switching to at least one of the second and third operating modes in response to the comparison.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the temperature device is configured to determine the first temperature value indicative of the core temperature of the patient in response to the comparison.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the temperature device is configured to compare the first temperature value to a second predetermined threshold, and output the first temperature value to a user of the device in response to the comparison between the first temperature value and the second predetermined threshold.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the temperature device is configured to recommend switching to at least one of the second and third operating modes in response to the comparison between the first temperature value and the second predetermined threshold.

35. The method of claim 29, further including selecting the second operating mode based on a recommendation received from the temperature device while operating in the first operating mode.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein operating the temperature device in the second operating mode includes releasably coupling a probe cover to the device, and measuring the second temperature of the patient by contacting the measurement site of the patient with the probe cover.

37. A method of determining a temperature of a patient with a temperature device, comprising:

determining an alignment parameter associated with a position of the device relative to the patient, wherein

the alignment parameter comprises at least one of a distance between the device and the patient, and an angle formed between the device and a plane substantially defined by an outer surface of the patient;

measuring a temperature of the patient with a temperature sensor of the temperature device without contacting the patient with the device, wherein

the temperature sensor comprises an array of infrared sensing elements, and measuring the temperature comprises focusing at least one of the sensing elements on a location on the outer surface; and

determining a temperature value indicative of a core temperature of the patient based on the temperature.