Infrared thermometer

• US 6,742,927 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2002
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: La Tecnica SRL
• Original Assignee: La Tecnica SRL
• Inventors: Bellifemine, Francesco
• Primary Examiner(s): Fulton, Christopher W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jagan, Mirellys
• Application Number:
  US10/329,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20030099277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 374/120, 374/121, 374/141, 374/142, 600/474
• US Class Current: 374/121
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0022 for sensing the radiation of moving bodies
• 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 5/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/025 Interfacing a pyrometer to an external device or network; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/026 Control of working procedures of a pyrometer, other than calibration; Bandwidth calculation; Gain control
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0275 Control or determination of height or distance or angle information for sensors or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/07 Arrangements for adjusting the solid angle of collected radiation, e.g. adjusting or orienting field of view, tracking position or encoding angular position optical collimating elements G01J5/0806
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0896 using a light source, e.g. for illuminating a surface

Abstract

The invention relates to an infrared thermometer wherein control means signal or determine a correct positioning of the intensity transducer tasked with measuring the infrared radiation emitted by the patient whose temperature needs to be known.

Claims

1. Infrared thermometer (1) comprising:

at least one intensity transducer (3), set to detect an infrared radiation emitted by an area to be measured of a patient and to generate at its output a corresponding measuring signal;

a processing unit (4) operatively associated with said transducer (3) to receive the measuring signal and compute a corresponding temperature of the area to be measured;

control means to define a correct positioning condition of said transducer (3) at a pre-set distance (D) from said area to be measured;

wherein said control means comprises;

at least one emitter (10) of an undulatory signal (11) meant to be incident upon the area to be measured to create a corresponding return undulatory signal (12);

at least one receiver (13) set to detect the return signal (12);

the processing unit (4) being set to compute a time delay between the return signal (12) and

the incident signal (11) to determine an actual distance between the intensity transducer (3) and the area to be measured; and

signaling means commanded by said processing unit (4) to signal to a user the substantial coincidence of the actual distance with said pre-set distance (D) and hence the reaching of the condition of correct positioning of said intensity transducer (3).

2. Infrared thermometer (1) according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit (4) automatically computes the temperature of the measured area when said correct positioning condition of the transducer (3) is reached.

3. Infrared thermometer (1) according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit (4) computes the temperature a plurality of consecutive times obtaining a plurality of temperature values and assigning as the actual value of the temperature of the measured area the mean of the computed temperature values.

4. Infrared thermometer (1) according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit (4) assigns a pre-set differential defining an interval (D-Δ

, D Δ

) the actual distance being deemed to correspond with said pre-set distance (D) when the actual falls within the interval.

5. Infrared thermometer (1) according to claim 1, wherein said emitter (10) operates simultaneously with said receiver (13) which is separated from the emitter (10) itself.

6. Infrared thermometer (1) according to claim 1, wherein said emitter (10) and said receiver (13) operate alternatively at separate and successive time intervals, said emitter (10) and said receiver (13) being defined by a single frequency transducer.

7. Infrared thermometer (1) according to claim 1, wherein said emitter (10) irradiates an acoustic or electromagnetic undulatory signal (11).

8. Infrared thermometer (1) according to claim 1, wherein said emitter (10) irradiates a coded undulatory signal (11).

9. Infrared thermometer (1) according to claim 1, wherein said emitter (10) irradiates an undulatory signal (11) whose frequency exceeds 20 kHz.

10. Infrared thermometer (1) comprising:

at least one intensity transducer (3), set to detect an infrared radiation emitted by an area to be measured of a patient and to generate at its output a corresponding measuring signal;

a processing unit (4) operatively associated with said transducer (3) to receive the measuring signal and compute a corresponding temperature of the area to be measured;

control means to define a correct positioning condition of said transducer (3) at a pre-set distance (D) from said area to be measured;

wherein said control means comprises;

at least one emitter (10) of an undulatory signal (11) meant to be incident upon the area to be measured to create a corresponding return undulatory signal (12);

at least one receiver (13) set to detect the return signal (12);

the processing unit (4) being set to compute a time delay between the return signal (12) and the incident signal (11) to determine an actual distance between the intensity transducer (3) and the area to be measured; and

said processing unit (4) performs the computation of the temperature a plurality of consecutive times obtaining a plurality of values and assigning as the actual value of the temperature of the measured area the mean of the computed temperature values.

11. Infrared thermometer (1) comprising:

at least one intensity transducer (3), set to detect an infrared radiation emitted by an area to be measured of a patient and to generate at its output a corresponding measuring signal;

a processing unit (4) operatively associated with said transducer (3) to receive the measuring signal and compute a corresponding temperature of the area to be measured;

control means to define a correct positioning condition of said transducer (3) at a pre-set distance (D) from said area to be measured;

wherein said control means comprises;

at least one emitter (10) of an undulatory signal (11) meant to be incident upon the area to be measured to create a corresponding return undulatory signal (12);

at least one receiver (13) set to detect the return signal (12);

the processing unit (4) being set to compute a time delay between the return signal (12) and

the incident signal (11) to determine an actual distance between the intensity transducer (3) and the area to be measured; and

said processing unit (4) assigns a pre-set differential defining an interval (D-Δ

, D Δ

) the actual distance being deemed to correspond with said pre-set distance (D) when the actual falls within the interval.