Electronic clinical thermometer

• US 7,059,767 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Nakajima, Satoshi, Tokita, Muneo, Makita, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): VERBITSKY, GAIL KAPLAN
• Application Number:
  US11/084,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20050220170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 374/163, 374/164, 374/169, 374/170, 374134-135, 374 29- 30, 374/208, 374/100, 600/474, 600/549, 702/139
• US Class Current: 374/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/16 Special arrangements for conducting heat from the object to the sensitive element
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/42 Circuits effecting compensation of thermal inertia; Circuits for predicting the stationary value of a temperature

Abstract

An electronic clinical thermometer has a probe including a temperature sensor and a heat flux sensor which are controlled to make measurements at specified time intervals. The measured values are used in solving the equation of heat conduction to estimate the temperature of an internal body position. A heater may be included to preheat a body part in order to reduce the time required for measurement. The probe may use two temperature sensors to measure temperatures at two body surface positions through insulating members which are different in thermal conductivity.

Claims

1. An electronic clinical thermometer comprising:

a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor each for measuring temperature;

a first thermally insulating member disposed between said first temperature sensor and a target body to be measured;

a second thermally insulating member disposed between said second temperature sensor and said target body, said first and second thermally insulating members having different thermal conductivity values;

a controller for controlling said first and second temperature sensors to make measurements at specified time intervals;

a memory for storing first measured values obtained by said first temperature sensor and second measured values obtained by said second temperature sensor; and

a calculator for calculating estimated temperature at a specified internal body position from said first and second measured values.

2. The thermometer of claim 1 further comprising a heater.

3. The thermometer of claim 1 further comprising a probe which is planar and contains said first and second temperature sensors.

4. The thermometer of claim 2 further comprising a probe which is planar and contains said first and second temperature sensors.

5. An electronic clinical thermometer comprising:

a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor each for measuring temperature;

a first thermally insulating member disposed between said first temperature sensor and a target body to be measured;

a second thermally insulating member disposed between said second temperature sensor and said target body, said first and second thermally insulating members having different thermal conductivity values;

a controller for controlling said first and second temperature sensors to make measurements at specified time intervals;

a memory for storing first measured values obtained by said first temperature sensor and second measured values obtained by said second temperature sensor; and

a calculator for calculating estimated temperature at a specified internal body position from said first and second measured values, said calculator obtaining said estimated temperature by calculating time rate of change in measured values by said first temperature sensor.

6. The thermometer of claim 5 further comprising a heater.

7. The thermometer of claim 5 further comprising a probe which is planar and contains said first and second temperature sensors.

8. The thermometer of claim 6 further comprising a probe which is planar and contains said first and second temperature sensors.

9. An electronic clinical thermometer comprising:

a cover material that contacts a target body to be measured;

a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor each for measuring temperature;

a first thermally insulating member disposed between said first temperature sensor and said cover material and directly contacting said cover material;

a second thermally insulating member disposed between said second temperature sensor and said cover material and directly contacting said cover material, said first and second thermally insulating members having different thermal conductivity values;

a controller for controlling said first and second temperature sensors to make measurements at specified time intervals;

a memory for storing first measured values obtained by said first temperature sensor and second measured values obtained by said second temperature sensor; and

a calculator for calculating estimated temperature at a specified internal body position from said first and second measured values.

10. The thermometer of claim 9 further comprising a heater.

11. The thermometer of claim 9 wherein said calculator obtains said estimated temperature by calculating time rate of change in measured values by said first temperature sensor.

12. The thermometer of claim 10 wherein said calculator obtains said estimated temperature by calculating time rate of change in measured values by said first temperature sensor.

13. The thermometer of claim 9 further comprising a probe which is planar and contains said first and second temperature sensors.

14. The thermometer of claim 10 further comprising a probe which is planar and contains said first and second temperature sensors.

15. The thermometer of claim 11 further comprising a probe which is planar and contains said first and second temperature sensors.

16. The thermometer of claim 12 further comprising a probe which is planar and contains said first and second temperature sensors.