Probe assembly of infrared thermometer

• US 7,275,867 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2005
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oriental System Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Oriental System Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Herman
• Primary Examiner(s): VERBITSKY, GAIL KAPLAN
• Application Number:
  US11/290,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 374/130, 374/131, 374/121, 374/120, 374/208, 374/163, 600/474
• US Class Current: 374/208
• 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 5/021 Probe covers for thermometers, e.g. tympanic thermometers; Containers for probe covers; Disposable probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/04 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/049 Casings for tympanic thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/06 Arrangements for eliminating effects of disturbing radiation; Arrangements for compensating changes in sensitivity for adjusting of solid angle of collected radiation G01J5/07; means for wavelength selection G01J5/0801

Abstract

A probe assembly of an infrared thermometer is capable of detecting the surface temperature of a thermal radiation source and is suitable for holding over human skin or inserting into a patient'"'"'s ear canal for accurately taking human body temperature. The probe assembly comprises a taper plastic tube, a conductive shell, an infrared radiation sensor and an adiabatic supporter, wherein the plastic tube has a radiation collection end and the conductive shell has a first open end. The infrared radiation sensor is placed in the first open end of the conductive shell, and has a base against the adiabatic supporter. The infrared radiation sensor has a hot junction toward the first open end of the conductive shell and a cold junction toward the adiabatic supporter.

Claims

1. A probe assembly of an infrared thermometer detecting infrared rays emitted by a thermal radiation source so as to measure a surface temperature of the thermal radiation source, comprising:

a taper plastic tube including a radiation collection end toward the thermal radiation source and allowing the infrared rays to go through;

a conductive shell placed in the plastic tube and including a first open end adjacent to the radiation collection end;

an infrared radiation sensor placed in the first open end of the conductive shell and including a hot junction facing the thermal radiation source and a cold junction facing a side opposite to the radiation collection end;

a first adiabatic ring placed between the plastic tube and the conductive shell and preventing heat of the plastic tube from being directly conducted to the conductive shell;

a second adiabatic ring placed between the conductive shell and the infrared radiation sensor; and

an adiabatic supporter placed in the conductive shell and including a first end against the surface of the infrared radiation sensor adjacent to the cold junction, wherein the first end of the adiabatic supporter shows a cross shape and several leads go through diagonal gaps of the cross shape.

2. The probe assembly of claim 1, further comprising a connection base holding the adiabatic supporter and the conductive shell, wherein a second end of the adiabatic supporter opposite to the first end and a second open end of the conductive shell opposite to the first open end are all fixed to the connection base.

3. The probe assembly of claim 1, wherein an annular space existing between the conductive shell and the plastic tube is an open space allowing air to convect from the interior of the annular space to the exterior of the annular space so that heat is prevented from being directly conducted from the plastic tube to the conductive shell.

4. The probe assembly of claim 1, wherein several bumps formed on an inner wall of the conductive shell hold the infrared radiation sensor.

5. The probe assembly of claim 1, wherein the infrared radiation sensor is fixed to the conductive shell by adiabatic adhesive.

6. The probe assembly of claim 1, further comprising a fixing plate supporting the surface of the infrared radiation sensor adjacent to the cold junction and interfering with an inner wall of the conductive shell to fix the infrared radiation sensor.

7. The probe assembly of claim 1, wherein the plastic tube includes a first guard ring at a rim of the first open end and the second adiabatic ring is placed between the first guard ring and the infrared radiation sensor.

8. The probe assembly of claim 1, wherein the conductive shell includes a second guard ring at a rim of the radiation collection end and the first adiabatic ring is placed between the second guard ring and the plastic tube.