Non-invasive apparatus for measuring a temperature of a living body and method therefor

• US 6,773,159 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Tae-woo, Lee, Jeong-whan, Eom, Sang-jin, Han, Wan-taek, Lee, Sang-min
• Primary Examiner(s): VERBITSKY, GAIL KAPLAN
• Application Number:
  US10/390,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20030179808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 374/122, 374/44-45, 374/101, 374/1, 374/43, 374/121, 600/407, 600/547, 600/549, 324/315, 324/303, 327/512, 340/870.1
• US Class Current: 374/122
• 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 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• 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 5/026 Control of working procedures of a pyrometer, other than calibration; Bandwidth calculation; Gain control
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0801 Means for wavelength selection or discrimination
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0846 having multiple detectors for performing different types of detection, e.g. using radiometry and reflectometry channels

Abstract

A non-invasive apparatus and method for measuring a temperature of a portion of a living body, includes a signal receiving unit receiving electromagnetic wave signals emitted from the portion of a living body to be measured, a signal processing unit processing the electromagnetic signals input from the signal receiving unit and outputting a radiation power signal, a medium characteristic measurement unit measuring a value of a conductivity or a permittivity of the portion of the living body to be measured and outputting the measured value, and a temperature conversion unit including a computer database storing a plurality of temperature conversion tables with respect to radiation power according to the conductivity or the permittivity of the portion of the living body and determining a corresponding temperature using the measured value of the conductivity or the permittivity of the portion of the living body and the radiation power signal of the signal processing unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring a temperature of a portion of a living body, comprising:

a signal receiving unit for receiving electromagnetic wave signals emitted from the portion of a living body to be measured;

a signal processing unit for processing the electromagnetic signals input from the signal receiving unit and outputting a radiation power signal;

a medium characteristic measurement unit for measuring a value of a conductivity or a permittivity of the portion of the living body to be measured and for outputting the measured value; and

a temperature conversion unit, including a computer database for storing a plurality of temperature conversion tables with respect to radiation power according to the conductivity or the permittivity of the portion of the living body, for determining a corresponding temperature using the measured value of the conductivity or the permittivity of the portion of the living body and the radiation power signal of the signal processing unit.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal receiving unit comprises:

a receiver for receiving the electromagnetic signals; and

a transmission line for sending the electromagnetic wave signals from the receiver to the signal processing unit.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the receiver is an antenna or a probe.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit comprises:

an amplifier for amplifying the electromagnetic wave signals input from the signal receiving unit;

a filter for extracting a signal value of a predetermined frequency band from the electromagnetic wave signals;

a noise source for maintaining a reference signal of a specific temperature;

a switch for switching the extracted signal and the reference signal within a specific interval and for connecting to a next stage;

an isolator for processing the extracted signal in one direction and matching circuits; and

a detector for detecting an enveloped curve of the extracted signal.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the temperature conversion unit comprises:

an information storage unit having a computer database for storing the plurality of temperature conversion tables with respect to radiation power; and

an information processing unit for selecting a proper temperature conversion table corresponding to the conductivity or the permittivity measured by the information storage unit and for determining the temperature corresponding to the radiation power signal of the electromagnetic wave input from the signal processing unit, from the temperature conversion tables.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the medium characteristic measurement unit comprises:

a signal generator for generating an electromagnetic wave signal of a specific frequency band;

a transmitter for sending the electromagnetic wave signal to the portion of the living body;

a receiver for receiving the electromagnetic wave signal passed through the portion of the living body to be measured;

a signal processor for receiving the electromagnetic wave signal from the receiver and processing the received signal; and

a controller for controlling the signal generator and the signal processor.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are integrally formed to receive the electromagnetic wave signals reflected on a predetermined portion of the living body.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the receiver receives the electromagnetic wave signal reflected on the portion of the living body to be measured.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying the temperature selected by the temperature conversion unit.

10. A method for measuring a temperature of a portion of a living body, comprising:

receiving electromagnetic wave signals from the portion of a living body to be measured;

processing the received electromagnetic wave signals and extracting a radiation power signal therefrom;

measuring medium characteristics, wherein the medium characteristics are conductivity or a permittivity, of the portion of the living body to be measured; and

converting a temperature for selecting the temperature of the portion of the living body based on the radiation power signal of the received electromagnetic wave signals and the conductivity or the permittivity of the measuring medium characteristics process.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein processing the received electromagnetic signals comprises:

removing noise from the electromagnetic wave signals;

extracting the electromagnetic wave signal of a specific frequency band; and

amplifying the extracted signal value.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein measuring medium characteristics comprises:

radiating the electromagnetic wave signal of a specific frequency band to the portion of the living body to be measured;

receiving the electromagnetic wave signal passed through the portion of the living body to be measured; and

calculating a conductivity or a permittivity based on the received electromagnetic wave signal.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein converting a temperature comprises:

selecting a specific temperature conversion table corresponding to the conductivity or the permittivity from a plurality of temperature conversion tables with respect to radiation power, which are previously stored; and

calculating a specific temperature corresponding to the radiation power of the electromagnetic wave from the temperature conversion table.