Temperature measuring method, particularly of a human or animal patient

• US 8,821,010 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tecnimed SRL
• Original Assignee: Tecnimed SRL
• Inventors: Bellifemine, Francesco
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, SEAN PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US12/794,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20100274154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 374/121, 374/130, 374/131, 600/549
• 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 5/0275 Control or determination of height or distance or angle information for sensors or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/064 Ambient temperature sensor; Housing temperature sensor; Constructional details thereof
• 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 5/0815 Light concentrators, collectors or condensers

Abstract

A temperature measuring method comprises a step of detecting, by an infrared thermometer, the intensity of an infrared radiation coming from a region of interest of a patient for determining the patient'"'"'s temperature, and a step of pointing a target area that is coincident with the region of interest and is the even and smooth surface of a body having a homogeneous underlying vascularization, and being preferably devoid of hair or chitinous or keratinous skin formations.

Claims

1. A temperature measuring method comprising the following steps:

manually positioning a contactless infrared thermometer at a distance from a target area of a patient whose blood heat temperature is to be measured;

manually pointing the contactless infrared thermometer at the target area;

activating the contactless infrared thermometer;

detecting, by the contactless infrared thermometer and for a prefixed time interval, an intensity of an infrared radiation coming from at least the target area of the patient, wherein said target area is an ethmoid sinus of a human patient;

determining the temperature of said target area by means of said infrared radiation detected intensity;

collecting the temperature of the target area;

determining a blood heat temperature by correcting the collected temperature of the target area; and

displaying the blood heat temperature.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of handling the contactless infrared thermometer through a handgrip portion during the manual positioning step, during the manual pointing step, during activation of the contactless infrared thermometer step and during detection of the intensity of the infrared radiation.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of shutting at least one eye and detecting the intensity of an infrared radiation coming from the upper closed eyelid.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising a step of measuring a room temperature and a step of correcting the collected temperature of said target area as a function of the measured room temperature.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising a step of measuring a room temperature and a step of correcting the blood heat temperature as a function of the measured room temperature.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, comprising a step of controlling a correctness of the room temperature used for correcting the collected temperature of the target area.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of activating the contactless infrared thermometer is a step of manually activating the contactless infrared thermometer by pressing at least one button on the contactless infrared thermometer.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, after activating the contactless infrared thermometer, detection for a prefixed time interval of the intensity of an infrared radiation coming from the target area starts automatically.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, after activating the contactless infrared thermometer, a timer starts a countdown, the detection being performed for the prefixed time interval during the countdown and since the countdown ends.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of determining a correct measuring distance of an infrared sensor from the target area, said determination being performed during the step of manually positioning the contactless infrared thermometer.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of determining a correct measuring distance comprises sending at least two non-coplanar light rays towards the target area, the correct distance being determined through superimposition of corresponding light spots on the target area.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of determining a correct measuring distance comprises sending at least an ultrasonic ray towards the target area and receiving a reflected ultrasonic ray, the correct distance being determined sensing a time interval between sending and receiving the ultrasonic ray.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein during detection of the infrared radiation coming from the target area, the contactless infrared thermometer is manually handled and the distance between an infrared sensor and the target area can vary.

14. A temperature measuring method comprising the following steps:

manually positioning a contactless infrared thermometer at a distance from a target area of a patient whose blood heat is to be measured;

manually pointing the contactless infrared thermometer at the target area;

manually activating the contactless infrared thermometer;

detecting, by the contactless infrared thermometer and for a prefixed time interval, an intensity of an infrared radiation coming from at least the target area of the patient, wherein said target area is one eye of a human or animal patient;

displaying the target area by projection of a pointing shape around said target area, said pointing shape is obtained by projection of at least a light beam at least partly circumscribing the target area, wherein the pointing shape circumscribes an area bigger than the target area;

determining a correct distance of the infrared thermometer from the target area by means of said light beam projection;

determining the temperature of said target area by means of said infrared radiation detected intensity;

collecting the temperature of the target area;

correcting the collected temperature of the target area for determining a blood heat temperature; and

displaying the blood heat temperature.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein in the detecting step the pointing shape circumscribes the eye without projecting the light beam directly on the eye.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the pointing shape has a conformation to at least partly circumscribe a predetermined portion of an eye, said predetermined eye portion being chosen in the group comprising a cornea portion and/or a pupil and/or an iris of an eye.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said patient is a non-human animal.