APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR APPLYING STERILE COVER TO TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE PROBE

• US 3,650,153 A
• Filed: 10/07/1969
• Issued: 03/21/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ardath M. Schwab
• Original Assignee: Ardath M. Schwab
• Inventors: Schwab, Ardath M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prince, Louis R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corr, Denis E.
• Application Number:
  US04/864,385
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 73/362AR,343 206/16.6,16.5
• US Class Current: 374/158
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/25 Protective devices therefor, e.g. sleeves preventing contamination

Abstract

A sleeve is slidably mounted between stop means and in a slight friction fit upon a cylindrical temperature sensitive probe and has a radially outwardly extending rim about an end thereof which is movable beyond the probe end to be inserted into a sterile flexible package. An elastic ring on the end of a latex probe cover fits over said sleeve rim while said sleeve is inserted into the package whereupon sliding movement of the sleeve down the probe places the sterile cover over the probe without manual contamination of the exterior of the cover.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for measuring body temperature of the type employing a temperature sensitive probe, the improvement comprising the provision of:

a sleeve slidably mounted on said probe for movement toward and away from a free end thereof;

means on said sleeve for removably retaining an open end of a tubular resilient probe cover on said sleeve when said sleeve is adjacent said probe free end whereby movement of said sleeve away from said probe free end draws said probe cover over said probe; and

cooperating stop means on each of said probe and said sleeve for halting sliding movement of said sleeve toward said probe free end when a portion of said sleeve overhangs said probe free end.

2. In an apparatus for measuring body temperature of the type employing a temperature sensitive probe the improvement comprising the provision of:

a sleeve slidably mounted on said probe for movement toward and away from a free end thereof;

means on said sleeve for removably retaining an open end of a tubular resilient probe cover on said sleeve when said sleeve is adjacent said probe free end whereby movement of said sleeve away from said probe free end draws said probe cover over said probe, said means on said sleeve including an outwardly projecting rim about a free end of said sleeve; and

stop means on said probe generally adjacent said free end for halting sliding movement of said sleeve when said sleeve is in a protracted position relative to said probe.

3. A method of applying a resilient, tubular, elastic cover onto a temperature sensitive probe of the type used for measuring body temperature comprising the steps of:

providing a sterile probe cover with an elastic ring about its free end within an internally sterile package;

moving a sleeve on a temperature sensitive probe to the free end thereof and inserting a free end of said sleeve into said ring through an opened end of said package, said step of moving said sleeve on said probe to said free end thereof includes movement of said sleeve free end to a protracted portion overhanging said probe free end to facilitate said inserting said sleeve free end into said cover ring; and

drawing said sleeve over said probe to remove said cover from said package and place it over said probe without manually touching said cover.