APPARATUSES FOR NON-INVASIVELY SENSING INTERNAL TEMPERATURE

• US 20150092817A1
• Filed: 09/25/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brain Temp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Brain Temp, Inc.
• Inventors: Allison, Robert C., Geist, Leroy D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,126,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/152
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/182 Electrical shielding, e.g. using a Faraday cage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• 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 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/006 using measurement of the effect of a material on microwaves or longer electromagnetic waves, e.g. measuring temperature via microwaves emitted by the object G01K17/003, G01J5/00 take precedence; measuring the effect of a material on X-, gamma- or particle radiation G01K11/30

Abstract

A transducer for noninvasively determining an internal temperature of a location of interest in a body of a subject may be configured to receive native temperature signals originating from the location of interest without substantially receiving interfering signals. Such a transducer may include one or more shielding features for preventing interference. In addition, such a transducer may include a dielectric cavity configured or positioned to increase the native temperature signals sensed, or received, by the antenna. A transducer may be configured to multiplex signals that are indicative of a temperature of a location of interest within the body of a subject and reference temperature signals. Such a transducer may include a connector that facilitates the communication of a multiplexed signal, such as a connector for a coaxial cable. The connector of a transducer may be configured to swivel relative to an end of a cable that has been coupled thereto. Systems including such a transducer are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A transducer for noninvasively measuring temperature within a body of a subject, comprising:

a circuit board including a front side and a back side opposite from the front side, the circuit board defining an antenna for receiving at least one native temperature signal from a location of interest within a body of a subject;

a receiving aperture adjacent to the front side of the circuit board;

an adhesive material adjacent to the front side of the circuit board and configured to secure the circuit board to the subject;

a dielectric cavity adjacent to the back side of the circuit board, the dielectric cavity including an inner extent adjacent to the back side of the circuit board and an outer extent opposite from the inner extent, the dielectric cavity configured to conduct radiofrequency currents to the receiving aperture; and

at least one shielding feature positioned adjacent to an outer extent of the dielectric cavity to prevent interfering signals from impinging upon at least the back side of the circuit board.

2. The transducer of claim 1, wherein the adhesive material is positioned adjacent to an outer periphery of the receiving aperture.

3. The transducer of claim 1, wherein the adhesive material comprises at least a part of the receiving aperture.

4. The transducer of claim 1, wherein the dielectric cavity comprises a void.

5. The transducer of claim 1, wherein the dielectric cavity comprises a dielectric material.

6. The transducer of claim 5, wherein the dielectric cavity includes a plurality of voids dispersed throughout the dielectric material.

7. The transducer of claim 1, wherein the at least one shielding feature covers the back side of the circuit board and an outer periphery of the circuit board.

8. The transducer of claim 7, wherein the at least one shielding feature is configured to prevent transmission of interfering signals into the receiving aperture or to the front side of the circuit board.

9. The transducer of claim 1, wherein the at least one shielding feature comprises a low resistance electrically conductive material.

10. The transducer of claim 9, wherein the low resistance electrically conductive material comprises a metal.

11. The transducer of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing that carries or defines the circuit board, the receiving aperture, the dielectric cavity, the adhesive material and the at least one shielding feature.

12. The transducer of claim 11, wherein an interior surface of the housing carries the at least one shielding feature.

13. The transducer of claim 1, further comprising:

a reference temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature at a surface over which the transducer is secured.

14. A transducer for noninvasively measuring temperature within a body of a subject, comprising:

a circuit board including a front side and a back side opposite from the front side, the circuit board defining an antenna for receiving at least one native temperature signal from a location of interest within a body of a subject;

a reference temperature sensor; and

a cable connector for transmitting a multiplexed signal including an intermediate temperature signal from the antenna and a reference temperature signal from the reference temperature sensor.

15. The transducer of claim 14, wherein cable connector an end of a cable are configured to swivel relative to one another upon connecting the end of the cable to the cable connector.

16. The transducer of claim 15, wherein the cable connector comprises a coaxial cable connector.

17. The transducer of claim 16, wherein the reference temperature sensor comprises a thermistor.

18. The transducer of claim 17, wherein the circuit board carries at least a portion of an electrical circuit including the antenna, a capacitor and the thermistor, the capacitor being positioned in series between the receiving aperture and the thermistor, the thermistor being in direct communication with the cable connector.

19. A noninvasive temperature management system, comprising:

a transducer circuit, including;

a connector;

an antenna;

a capacitor in series between the antenna and the connector;

a thermistor; and

an inductor in series between the thermistor and the connector,

the transducer circuit configured to multiplex signals from the antenna with signals from the thermistor;

a radiometer circuit, including;

a connector;

a radiometer;

a first capacitor in series between the connector and the radiometer;

a thermistor output;

an inductor; and

a second capacitor,

the inductor in series between the connector and the thermistor output and in series between the connector and the second capacitor, the thermistor output in parallel with the second capacitor,

the radiometer circuit configured to de-multiplex signals from the antenna from signals from the thermistor and to convey signals from the antenna to the radiometer and to convey signals from the thermistor to the thermistor output; and

a cable for connecting the connector of the transducer circuit and the connector of the radiometer circuit and for conveying multiplexed signals from the transducer circuit to the radiometer circuit.

20. The noninvasive temperature management system of claim 19, wherein the cable comprises a coaxial cable.