Durable tympanic probe and thermometer

• US 5,871,279 A
• Filed: 10/27/1997
• Issued: 02/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thermoscan Incorporated (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Thermoscan Incorporated (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Mooradian, Mark, Chaput, Ivanhoe, Simpson, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutierrez, Diego F.F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HIRSHFELD, ANDREW HOWARD
• Application Number:
  US08/958,881
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 374/130, 374/131, 600/549, 600/474
• US Class Current: 374/130
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/04 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/044 Environment with strong vibrations or shocks
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/046 Materials; Selection of thermal materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/048 Protective parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/049 Casings for tympanic thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0875 Windows; Arrangements for fastening thereof

Abstract

A durable tympanic thermometer that resists damage from a drop comprises an IR thermometer probe having a reinforced speculum for reception within a human ear near the tympanum, a metal brick holding the probe to the body of the infrared thermometer, a barrel within the speculum acting as an infrared waveguide, an insulating and shock absorbing seal surrounding the barrel, a window within the barrel remote from the end of the speculum nearest the tympanum, a thermometer housing, an infrared responsive sensor, and electrical components to translate and display a sensor-generated signal into a visible temperature reading.

Claims

1. An infrared thermometer for measuring the temperature of the surface of a patient and having improved durability, said thermometer having a sensor responsive to infrared radiation that generates an electrical signal indicative of the temperature of said surface and electrical circuitry for processing the signal into a temperature reading, in which the improvement comprises:

a speculum made of rigid and resilient material externally shaped for reception within a human ear said speculum having a first end capable of placement near a tympanum and a second end wider than a human ear canal;

means for directly mounting the second end of the speculum to a brick attached to a body of the infrared thermometer;

a barrel, disposed axially within the speculum, having an interior with a high reflectivity of infrared radiation; and

an infrared transparent, cylindrically-shaped rigid window fixed axially within the barrel by a mounting, said mounting providing a mechanically resilient and hermetic seal between the barrel and the window to mechanically isolate the window from impacts transmitted from the speculum to the barrel, which impacts occur when the thermometer is dropped or similarly shocked.

2. The infrared thermometer of claim 1, further comprising a flexible and non-solid seal disposed radially between an exterior surface of the barrel and an interior surface of the speculum.

3. The infrared thermometer of claim 2 wherein the seal is a closed-cell foam.

4. The infrared thermometer of claim 3 wherein the foam is an extruded tubing of silicon closed-cell foam.

5. The infrared thermometer of claim 1 wherein the rigid and resilient speculum material is polyetherimide with about 20% glass reinforcement.

6. The infrared thermometer of claim 1 wherein the rigid and resilient speculum material is polycarbonate with about 30% glass reinforcement.

7. The infrared thermometer of claim 1 wherein the barrel is made from metal.

8. The infrared thermometer of claim 1 wherein the interior surface of the barrel is coated with gold.

9. The infrared thermometer of claim 1 wherein the window has a ratio of depth to diameter of at least 0.1.

10. The infrared thermometer of claim 1, wherein the window is located wholly inside of the barrel.

11. An infrared thermometer, for measuring the temperature of a patient, and having improved durability, comprising:

a speculum made of rigid and resilient material externally shaped for reception within a human ear and having a first end capable of placement near a tympanum and a second end wider than a human ear canal and having an axis defined between said first end and said second end;

a barrel, disposed axially within the speculum, the barrel having an interior surface with a high reflectivity of infrared radiation;

an infrared transparent cylindrically-shaped rigid window fixed axially within the barrel by a mounting, said mounting providing a mechanically resilient and hermetic seal between the barrel and the window for mechanically isolating the window from impacts transmitted from the speculum to the barrel which impacts occur when the thermometer is dropped or similarly shocked;

a thermometer housing supporting a front brick, and means for directly mounting the second end of the speculum to said brick;

an infrared sensor in optical alignment with said barrel, said sensor carried by said housing and responsive to infrared radiation, coming from said patient whose temperature is to be measured, and passing through said barrel, said sensor generating an electrical signal in response to said radiation; and

electrical means carried by said housing and responsive to said signal from said sensor for processing said signal into an indication of the temperature of said patient.

12. The infrared thermometer of claim 11, further comprising a flexible and non-solid seal disposed radially between an exterior surface of the barrel and an interior surface of the speculum, the seal made of a thermally insulating material.

13. The infrared thermometer of claim 11, wherein the window is located wholly inside of the barrel.

14. An infrared thermometer having improved durability, comprising:

a speculum made of glass-reinforced polycarbonate or glass-reinforced polyetherimide and externally shaped for reception within a human ear with a first end capable of placement near a tympanum, and a second end wider than a human ear canal, having screw threads on an interior surface thereof, and having an axis defined between said first end and said second end;

a metal or metalized barrel, disposed axially within the speculum, the barrel having an interior surface with a high reflectivity of infrared radiation;

a thermally insulating closed cell foam seal disposed radially between an exterior surface of the barrel and an interior surface of the speculum;

an infrared-transparent cylindrically-shaped rigid window hermetically and resiliently affixed within the barrel with glue, said glue providing a mechanically resilient and hermetic seal between the barrel and the window for mechanically isolating the window from impacts transmitted from the speculum to the barrel which impacts occur when the thermometer is dropped or similarly shocked;

a thermometer housing including a front brick having screw threads on an exterior surface thereof that threadably engage the screw threads on said interior surface of the second end of the speculum;

an infrared sensor carried by said thermometer housing and generating a signal in response to infrared radiation coming from an object whose temperature is to be measured that passes through said barrel and is received by the sensory; and

electrical means carried by said housing and responsive essentially only to said signal for developing an indication of the actual temperature of said object.

15. The infrared thermometer of claim 14, wherein the window is located wholly inside of the barrel.