Electronic clinical thermometer

• US 5,013,161 A
• Filed: 07/28/1989
• Issued: 05/07/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Zaragoza, Robert, McLinden, Thomas V., O'Connell, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wirthlin, Alvin
• Application Number:
  US07/387,457
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 374/208-209, 374/158, 374/163, 374/170, 374/183, 374/190-194
• US Class Current: 374/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals

Abstract

A thermometer for measuring the temperature of a living being comprises a housing having a hollow probe extending outwardly therefrom in a distal direction and a temperature sensing element located at the distal end of the probe. The housing holds a digital display and electrical means in electrical communication with the temperature sensing element for converting the temperature measured by the temperature sensing element into a readout on the display element. A resilient soft cover covers the probe and a portion of the housing to form a gripping surface for the user while allowing visualization of the display element. The resilient cover is softer than the probe.

Claims

1. A reusable thermometer for measuring the temperature of a living being comprising:

a rigid housing having a hollow probe extending outwardly therefrom in a distal direction;

temperature sensing means located at the distal end of said probe;

said housing holding display means and electrical means for converting the temperature measured by said temperature sensing means into a read-out on said display means, said electrical means adapted to engage a battery to facilitate operation of said thermometer;

conductor means for providing electrical communication between said electrical means and said temperature sensing means;

resilient soft cover means covering said probe and a portion of said housing to form a gripping surface for the user while allowing visualization of said display means, said resilient cover means being softer than said probe;

said probe being more flexible in response to bending force than said housing wherein said probe is capable of maintaining its shape while said thermometer is being held by said gripping surface and capable of deflecting in response to forces experienced during oral temperature measurement; and

said probe and said cover means being constructed so that a force of 22 grams applied perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of said thermometer at said distal end of said probe, while the thermometer is being firmly held by said gripping surface, will cause said distal end of said probe to deflect within the range of 1.0 mm to 25 mm in the direction of said force.

2. The thermometer of claim 1 wherein said temperature sensing means is sealed to said hollow probe and said hollow probe is sealed to said housing to form a water-tight enclosure around said electrical means.

3. The thermometer of claim 1 wherein said display means is a digital display.

4. The thermometer of claim 1 wherein said display means is a liquid crystal display.

5. The thermometer of claim 1 further including manually operable switch means for manually activating said electrical means for temperature measurement and for deactivating said electrical means to preserve the battery while said thermometer is not being used.

6. The thermometer of claim 5 wherein said switch means includes a membrane type switch operable by application of digital force in a direction perpendicular to the surface of said housing.

7. The thermometer of claim 5 further including a transparent flexible plastic sheet sealed to said housing in a water-tight arrangement covering said switch means and said display means.

8. The thermometer of claim 1 further including access means on said housing, said access means capable of being positioned in a first-closed position forming a water-tight seal with said housing and a second-open position allowing access to a battery engaging said electrical means.

9. The thermometer of claim 1 further including a battery in said housing engaging said electrical means.

10. The thermometer of claim 1 wherein said cover means surrounds said housing in at least one plane.

11. The thermometer of claim 1 wherein a portion of said cover means covering said probe has a substantially circularly-shaped cross-section.

12. The thermometer of claim 1 wherein a portion of said cover means covering said probe has an outside diameter within the range of 4 mm to 5 mm.

13. The thermometer of claim 1 wherein a portion of said thermometer, where said cover means covers said probe, has from 50 percent to 90 percent of its cross-sectional area comprising said cover means.

14. The thermometer of claim 1 wherein said cover means is made of polyvinyl chloride and said housing is made of polyvinyl chloride, said housing being harder than said cover means.

15. The thermometer of claim 1 wherein said cover means is made of polyvinyl chloride.

16. The thermometer of claim 15 wherein said polyvinyl chloride has a hardness of approximately about 50 Shore A durometer.

17. The thermometer of claim 1 wherein said cover means is made of material selected from the group of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastics, natural rubber latex, synthetic rubber latex and mixtures of natural rubber latex and synthetic rubber latex.

18. A reusable thermometer for measuring the temperature of a living being comprising:

a rigid housing having a hollow probe extending outwardly therefrom in a distal direction;

temperature sensing means located at the distal end of said probe;

said housing holding digital display means and electrical means for converting the temperature measured by said temperature sensing means into a digital read-out on said digital display means, said electrical means adapted to engage a battery to facilitate operation of said thermometer;

conductor means for providing electrical communication between said electrical means and said temperature sensing means;

manually operable switch means for manually activating said electrical means for temperature measurement and for deactivating said electrical means to preserve the battery while said thermometer is not being used;

soft resilient cover means covering said probe and a portion of said housing to form a gripping surface for the user while allowing visualization of said display means, said resilient cover means being softer than said probe, said resilient cover means surrounding said housing in at least one plane;

said probe being more flexible in response to bending forces than said housing wherein said probe is capable of maintaining its shape while said thermometer is being held by said gripping surface and capable of deflecting in response to forces experienced during oral temperature measurement; and

said probe and said cover means being constructed so that a force of 22 grams applied perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of said thermometer at said distal end of said probe, while said thermometer is being firmly held by said gripping surface, will cause said distal end of said probe to deflect within the range of 1.0 mm to 25 mm in the direction of said force.

19. The thermometer of claim 18 wherein said temperature sensing means is sealed to said hollow probe and said hollow probe is sealed to said housing to form a water-tight enclosure around said electrical means.

20. The thermometer of claim 18 further including a transparent flexible plastic sheet sealed to said housing in a water-tight arrangement covering said switch means and said display means.

21. The thermometer of claim 18 further including access means on said housing, said access means capable of being positioned in a first-closed position forming a water-tight seal with said housing and a second-open position allowing access to a battery engaging said electrical means.

22. The thermometer of claim 18 wherein said cover means is made of polyvinyl chloride and said housing is made of polyvinyl chloride, said housing being harder than said cover means.

23. The thermometer of claim 18 wherein said cover means is made of polyvinyl chloride having a hardness of approximately about 50 Shore A durometer.