Noncontact thermometry systems and methods

• US 9,375,149 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Lane, John A., Grant, Jennifer M., Kinsley, Matthew J., Mullin, Matthew D., Nguyen, Nick H., Quinn, David E., Salibra, Alisa R.
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDENBURG, MAX F
• Application Number:
  US14/218,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20150265159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 600/549
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0257 Proximity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• 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 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part

Abstract

A method of determining a temperature of a patient includes determining that a temperature measurement device is located within at least one of a distance range and an alignment range of a portion of a measurement site of the patient, providing an indication to a user of the device that the device is located within the at least one of the distance range and the alignment range, and determining, with the device, a first temperature of a first location on the portion of the measurement site without contacting the patient with the device. Such a method also includes determining, with the device, a second temperature of a second location on the portion of the measurement site without contacting the patient with the device, wherein the second location is different from the first location. Such a method further includes determining a third temperature of the patient based on the first and second temperatures.

Claims

1. A method of determining a temperature of a patient,

comprising:

determining that a temperature measurement device is located within at least one of a distance range and an alignment range of a first portion of a measurement site of the patient;

providing an indication to a user of the device that the device is located within the at least one of the distance range and the alignment range;

determining, with the device, a first temperature of a first location on at least one of the first portion and a second portion of the measurement site, without contacting the patient with the device;

determining, with the device, a second temperature of a second location on at least one of the first portion and the second portion of the measurement site, without contacting the patient with the device, wherein the second location is different from the first location; and

determining a third temperature of the patient based on the first and second temperatures.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the measurement site comprises an inner-canthal region of the patient.

3. The method of claim 1, further including determining at least one of the first location is within a field of view of a first sensor of the device and the second location is within a field of view of a second sensor of the device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the field of view of at least one of the first and second sensors is characterized by an angle equal to between approximately 5 degrees and approximately 15 degrees.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the distance range is between approximately 6 inches and approximately 14 inches, and wherein the distance range extends from a plane substantially defined by the first portion of the measurement site to a plane substantially defined by the device.

6. The method of claim 1, further including receiving an input from the user in response to the indication, and determining at least one of the first temperature and the second temperature in response to the input.

7. The method of claim 1, further including displaying an image of the patient, wherein the indication is illustrated in the image.

8. The method of claim 7, further including displaying at least one of the temperature of the first location, the temperature of the second location, and the third temperature in the image.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the indication illustrated in the image comprises a first indication indicating that the first location is within a field of view of a first sensor of the device, and a second indication indicating that the second location is within a field of view of a second sensor of the device.

10. The method of claim 1, further including determining a physical attribute of the patient with at least one sensor of the device, and automatically selecting an operating mode of the device based on the attribute, wherein the third temperature comprises a core temperature determined based on the operating mode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the attribute comprises at least one of a distance between the first location and the second location, a distance between at least one of the first and second locations and a third location on the measurement site, and a dimension of an ear of the patient.

12. A temperature measurement device, comprising:

a first sensor configured to determine that the device is located within at least one of a distance range and an alignment range of a first portion of a measurement site of a patient;

at least one additional sensor, the at least one additional sensor being configured to determine a first temperature of a first location on at least one of the first portion and a second portion of the measurement site and a second temperature of a second location on at least one of the first portion and the second portion of the measurement site,

wherein the at least one additional sensor determines the first and second temperatures without contacting the patient, and

wherein the first and second temperatures are determined in response to the first sensor determining that the device is located within the at least one of the distance range and the alignment range; and

a controller in communication with the first sensor and the at least one additional sensor, the controller being programmed to determine a third temperature of the patient based on the first and second temperatures.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the first sensor comprises a proximity sensor, and wherein the distance range extends from a plane substantially defined by the device to a plane substantially defined by the first portion of the measurement site.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the at least one additional sensor comprises a first infrared sensor configured to determine the first temperature and a second infrared sensor separate from the first infrared sensor, the second infrared sensor configured to determine the second temperature.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the first and second infrared sensors have respective fields of view characterized by respective angles equal to between approximately 5 degrees and approximately 15 degrees, and wherein the distance range is between approximately 6 inches and approximately 14 inches.

16. The device of claim 12, further including a user interface in communication with the controller, the user interface configured to receive an input from a user of the device in response to determining that the device is located within the at least one of the distance range and the alignment range, wherein the at least one additional sensor is configured to determine at least one of the first temperature and the second temperature in response to the input.

17. The device of claim 12, further including a display in communication with the controller, the display configured to provide an indication to a user of the device that the device is located within the at least one of the distance range and the alignment range, and to display an image of the patient, wherein the indication is illustrated in the image.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the at least one additional sensor comprises a second sensor and a third sensor separate from the second sensor, and wherein the indication illustrated in the image comprises a first indication indicating that the first location is within a field of view of the second sensor, and a second indication indicating that the second location is within a field of view of the third sensor.

19. The device of claim 12, wherein the device is configured to determine a physical attribute of the patient, the controller is configured to automatically select an operating mode of the device based on the attribute, and the attribute comprises at least one of a distance between the first location and the second location, a distance between at least one of the first and second locations and a third location on the measurement site, and a dimension of an ear of the patient.