Temporal artery temperature detector

• US 20080200830A1
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exergen Corporation
• Original Assignee: Exergen Corporation
• Inventors: Pompei, Francesco
• Granted Patent: US 7,787,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/549
• 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 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• 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 5/026 Control of working procedures of a pyrometer, other than calibration; Bandwidth calculation; Gain control
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/04 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/05 Means for preventing contamination of the components of the optical system; Means for preventing obstruction of the radiation path
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/16 Arrangements with respect to the cold junction; Compensating influence of ambient temperature or other variables

Abstract

Body temperature measurements are obtained by scanning a thermal radiation sensor across the side of the forehead over the temporal artery. A peak temperature measurement is processed to compute an internal temperature of the body as a function of ambient temperature and the sensed surface temperature. The function includes a weighted difference of surface temperature and ambient temperature, the weighting being varied with target temperature through a minimum in the range of 96° F. and 100° F. The radiation sensor views the target surface through an emissivity compensating cup which is spaced from the skin by a circular lip of low thermal conductivity.

Claims

1. A method of detecting human body temperature comprising measuring radiation emitted from skin over an artery to electronically determine a deep body temperature approximation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the deep body temperature approximation corresponds to an oral measurement.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the deep body temperature approximation corresponds to a rectal measurement.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the deep body temperature approximation as a function of an ambient temperature to which the human body is exposed.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising evaluating a plurality of radiation readings to determine the deep body temperature approximation.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the deep body temperature approximation.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising sounding an audible signal upon completion of the measurement.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising scanning a radiation detector across the artery.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising measuring radiation emitted in at least three readings per second.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising providing a peak temperature reading.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the artery has relatively constant blood flow.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the deep body temperature approximation is determined based on a model of heat balance relative to a detected temperature.

13. A method of detecting human body temperature comprising making at least three temperature readings per second of a temperature detector from a region of skin over an artery having a relatively constant blood flow to electronically determine a deep body temperature approximation.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the deep body temperature approximation corresponds to an oral measurement.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the deep body temperature approximation corresponds to a rectal measurement.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining the deep body temperature approximation as a function of an ambient temperature to which the human body is exposed.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising evaluating a plurality of radiation readings to determine the deep body temperature approximation.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying the deep body temperature approximation.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising sounding an audible signal upon completion of the measurement.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the temperature detector is a radiation detector.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising scanning the temperature detector across the artery.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising determining the deep body temperature approximation from a peak temperature reading.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein the artery has relatively constant blood flow.

24. The method of claim 13 wherein the deep body temperature approximation is determined based on a model of heat balance relative to a detected temperature.

25. A method of detecting human body temperature comprising measuring the temperature of a region of skin over a superficial artery having a relatively constant blood flow to electronically determine a deep body temperature approximation.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the deep body temperature approximation corresponds to an oral measurement.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the deep body temperature approximation corresponds to a rectal measurement.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising determining the deep body temperature approximation as a function of an ambient temperature to which the human body is exposed.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising evaluating a plurality of radiation readings to determine the deep body temperature approximation.

30. The method of claim 25 further comprising displaying the deep body temperature approximation.

31. The method of claim 25 further comprising sounding an audible signal upon completion of the measurement.

32. The method of claim 25 further comprising scanning a radiation detector across the artery.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising measuring radiation emitted in at least three readings per second.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising providing a peak temperature reading.

35. The method of claim 25 wherein the artery has relatively constant blood flow.

36. The method of claim 25 wherein the deep body temperature approximation is determined based on a model of heat balance relative to a detected temperature.

37. A body temperature detector comprising:

a temperature detector;

electronics that measure temperature from at least three readings per second of the temperature detector from a region of skin over an artery and that process the detected temperature to provide a deep body temperature approximation based on a model of heat balance relative to the detected temperature.

38. The body temperature detector claimed in claim 37 wherein the deep body temperature corresponds to an oral measurement.

39. The body temperature detector as claimed in claim 37 wherein the deep body temperature corresponds to a rectal measurement.

40. The body temperature detector claimed in claim 37 wherein the electronics determine deep body temperature as a function of ambient temperature to which the body is exposed.

41. The body temperature detector as claimed in claim 37 further comprising a display of the deep body temperature approximation.

42. The body temperature detector as claimed in claim 37 further comprising an audible signal that sounds upon completion of a measurement.

43. The body temperature detector as claimed in claim 37 wherein the temperature detector comprises a radiation sensor.

44. The body temperature detector as claimed in claim 37 wherein the electronics provide the deep body temperature approximation from a peak rating.

45. A body temperature detector comprising:

a temperature detector; and

electronics that measure temperature from at least three readings per second of the temperature detector from a region of skin over an artery having a relatively constant blood flow and that process a detected temperature to provide a deep body temperature approximation based on the detected temperature.

46. A method of detecting human body temperature comprising:

measuring the temperature of a region of skin of the forehead; and

processing the detected temperature to provide a deep body temperature approximation based on a model of heat balance relative to the detected temperature.