Rapid response electronic clinical thermometer

• US 6,854,882 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Actherm Inc.
• Original Assignee: Actherm Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Ming-Yun
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutierrez, Diego
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jagan, Mirellys
• Application Number:
  US10/309,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20040066836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 374/163, 374/183, 374/185, 374/179, 374/208, 600/549, 338/28, 338/229, 338/267, 338/233, 338/274
• US Class Current: 374/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals

Abstract

A rapid response electronic clinical thermometer is disclosed. The clinical thermometer comprises a measuring end portion adhered to a metal head portion having a temperature sensing element and a conductive wire joining the temperature sensing element, characterized in that the conductive wire is adhered to the inner wall of the metal head portion such that the conductive wire is not a heat dissipation portion for heat energy surrounding the sensing element, and further acts as a source of heat energy compensation so as to indicate the accurate temperature, reducing the temperature measuring time.

Claims

1. A rapid response electronic clinical thermometer having a measuring end portion adhered to a metal head portion having a temperature sensing element and a conductive wire joining the temperature sensing element, characterized in that the conductive wire is adhered to an inner wall of the metal head portion such that the conductive wire is not a heat dissipation portion for heat energy surrounding the sensing element, and further acts as a source of heat energy compensation so as to rapidly indicate a temperature, thereby reducing temperature measuring time, wherein the conductive wire adhered to the inner wall of the metal head portion is at least 0.3 cm in length, and a fixing element is mounted within the metal head portion, the fixing element being a hemisphere shape structure having an outer diameter that is larger than an inner diameter of the metal head portion before the fixing element is mounted into the metal head portion, and the inner wall of the metal head portion is closely engaged with an outer circumferential surface of the fixing element after the fixing element is mounted into the metal head portion, thereby firmly keeping the conductive wire in position.

2. The rapid response electronic clinical thermometer of claim 1, wherein the sensing element and the joined conductive wire are fully or largely adhered to the inner wall of the metal head portion.

3. The rapid respond electronic clinical thermometer of claim 1, wherein a front half of the conductive wire is mounted to the inner wall of the metal head portion by direct adhesion and a back half is coiled and in contact with the inner wall of the metal head portion.

4. The rapid response electronic clinical thermometer of claim 1, wherein the conductive wire is coiled fanning loops of a diameter larger than that of the metal head portion, and is forcefully inserted into the metal head portion by rotating the conductive wire loops into the metal head portion.

5. The rapid respond electronic clinical thermometer of claim 1, wherein a recess is formed at an external side of the measuring end portion.

6. The rapid respond electronic clinical thermometer of claim 1, wherein the fixing element has a low thermal coefficient and has a function to provide a support to the conductive wire and an adhesive agent for adhering the measuring end portion to the metal head portion so as to prevent distribution of the adhesive agent towards the metal head portion.

7. The rapid respond electronic clinical thermometer of claim 6, wherein the fixing element is made from a material of low heat transfer coefficient.