Zero-heat-flux, deep tissue temperature measurement devices with thermal sensor calibration

• US 8,292,495 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2010
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solventum Intellectual Properties Company (Solventum Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Arizant Healthcare Inc. (3M Company)
• Inventors: Bieberich, Mark T., Hansen, Gary L., Staab, Ryan J., Van Duren, Albert P., Ziaimehr, Allen H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Courson, Tania
• Application Number:
  US12/798,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20110249699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 374/1, 374163-164, 374/166, 374/208, 374/E17.001, 374/141, 600/549
• US Class Current: 374/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/165 for application in zero heat flux sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals

Abstract

A zero-heat-flux DTT measurement device is constituted of a flexible substrate supporting an electrical circuit including a heater trace defining a heater, thermal sensors, and a thermal sensor calibration circuit.

Claims

1. A zero-heat-flux temperature device with first and second flexible substrate layers sandwiching a layer of thermally insulating material, in which a heater trace disposed on the first substrate layer defines a heater facing one side of the layer of thermally insulating material and surrounding a zone of the first substrate layer having no heater trace, a first thermal sensor is disposed in the zone, a thermal sensor calibration circuit is disposed on the first substrate layer outside of the heater, a second thermal sensor is disposed on the second substrate layer, a plurality of electrical pads is disposed outside of the heater trace on a substrate surface, and a plurality of conductive traces connects the heater trace, the first and second thermal sensors and the thermal sensor calibration circuit with the plurality of electrical pads.

2. The zero-heat-flux temperature device of claim 1, in which the thermal sensor calibration circuit includes a programmable memory storing thermal sensor calibration information.

3. The zero-heat-flux temperature device of claim 1, in which the flexible substrate includes a center section, a tab extending outwardly from the periphery of the center section, and a tail extending outwardly from the periphery of the center section, the plurality of electrical pads is disposed on the tab, and the center section and the tail are folded around the layer of thermal insulating material such that the center section constitutes the first substrate layer and the tail constitutes the second substrate layer.

4. The zero-heat-flux temperature device of claim 3, in which the thermal sensor calibration circuit is disposed on a surface portion of the substrate extending partially over the tab and the center section.

5. The zero-heat-flux temperature device of claim 4, in which the thermal sensor calibration circuit includes a programmable memory storing thermal sensor calibration information.

6. The zero-heat-flux temperature device of claim 3, in which the thermal sensor calibration circuit is disposed between the heater and the plurality of electrical pads.

7. The zero-heat-flux temperature device of claim 6, in which the plurality of electrical pads includes at least six electrical pads.

8. The zero-heat-flux temperature device of claim 3, in which the tab includes opposing notches to receive and retain retainers of a cable connector.

9. The zero-heat-flux temperature device of claim 8, in which the annular heater trace includes two terminal ends and a first electrical pad of the plurality of electrical pads is connected only to a first terminal end of the heater trace and a second electrical pad of the plurality of electrical pads is connected only to the second terminal end of the heater trace.

10. The zero-heat-flux temperature device of claim 8, in which the annular heater trace includes three terminal ends and a first electrical pad of the plurality of electrical pads is connected only to a first terminal end of the heater trace, a second electrical pad of the plurality of electrical pads is connected only to the second terminal end of the heater trace, and a third electrical pad of the plurality of electrical pads is connected only to the third terminal end of the heater trace.

11. A temperature device, comprising:

a flexible substrate including a first section, a tab section extending outwardly from a periphery of the first section, and a tail section extending outwardly from the periphery of the first section; and

,

an electrical circuit on a surface of the flexible substrate, the electrical circuit including a heater trace on the first section defining a central heater portion surrounding a zone of the substrate with no heater trace and a peripheral heater portion surrounding the central heater portion, a first thermal sensor disposed in the zone, a second thermal sensor disposed on the tail section, a thermal sensor calibration circuit disposed at least partially on the tab section, a plurality of electrical pads disposed on the tab, and a plurality of conductive traces connecting the first and second thermal sensors, the thermal sensor calibration circuit, and the heater trace with the plurality of electrical pads.

12. The temperature device of claim 11, in which the central heater portion is a first power density portion, the peripheral heater portion is a second power density portion, and the second power density is greater than the first power density.

13. The temperature device of claim 12, in which the thermal sensor calibration circuit includes a programmable memory storing thermal sensor calibration information.

14. The temperature device of claim 12, in which the thermal sensor calibration circuit is disposed on a surface portion of the substrate extending partially over the tab section and the center section.

15. The temperature device of claim 14, in which the thermal sensor calibration circuit includes a programmable memory storing thermal sensor calibration information.

16. The temperature device of claim 15, in which the thermal sensor calibration circuit is disposed between the heater and the plurality of electrical pads.

17. The temperature device of claim 16, in which the plurality of electrical pads includes at least six electrical pads.

18. A temperature device, comprising:

a flexible substrate; and

,

an electrical circuit on a surface of the flexible substrate, the electrical circuit including an annular heater trace surrounding a zone of the surface, a first thermistor disposed in the zone, a second thermistor disposed outside of the annular heater trace, a thermistor calibration device disposed at least partially outside of the annular heater trace, a plurality of electrical pads disposed outside of the annular heater trace, and a plurality of conductive traces connecting the first and second thermistors, the thermistor calibration device, and the heater trace with the plurality of electrical pads;

at least one conductive trace connected to the thermistor calibration device, to a terminal of the first or the second thermistor, and to an electrical pad of the plurality of electrical pads.

19. The temperature device of claim 18, in which the plurality of electrical pads includes six or seven electrical pads.

20. The temperature device of claim 18, in which the thermistor calibration device is a programmable memory device storing thermistor calibration coefficients.

21. The temperature device of claim 18, in which the thermistor calibration device is disposed on a surface portion of the flexible substrate between the heater trace and the electrical pads.

22. The temperature device of claim 21, in which the thermistor calibration device is a programmable memory device storing thermistor calibration coefficients.

23. The temperature device of claim 22, in which the plurality of electrical pads includes six or seven electrical pads.