Ear-type clinical thermometer

• US 7,410,290 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2006
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Bio Echo Net
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Bio Echo Net
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): VERBITSKY, GAIL KAPLAN
• Application Number:
  US11/375,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20060239329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 374/183, 374/185, 374/163, 374/120, 374/121, 374/132, 374/208, 600/549, 600/474, 702/136
• US Class Current: 374/121
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/04 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/046 Materials; Selection of thermal materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/049 Casings for tympanic thermometers
• 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: G01K 1/18 for reducing thermal inertia
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/16 using resistive elements resistive elements per se H01C, H01L

Abstract

A probe of an ear-type clinical thermometer 20 comprises a first heat insulation member 210 made of a resin material and a second high heat insulation member 220 made of a resin material that is connected to a distal end of the first heat insulation member 210 by conventional coupling means. The second high heat insulation member 220 is tapered forwardly and is provided on the distal end with a concave surface 221. A protection cover 230 sheathes the first heat insulation member 210 and second high heat insulation member 220. A thermistor fine lead wire 240 is embedded in the first heat insulation member 210 and second high heat insulation member 220 so that a turning end portion 241 of the wire 240 is bridged over the concave surface 221 of the second high heat insulation member 220 to be exposed above the concave surface 221. An ultrafast responsivity thermistor 250 is mounted substantially on a center of the turning end portion 241 of the thermistor fine lead wire 240.

Claims

1. An ear-type clinical thermometer including a probe comprising:

a first heat insulation member made of a resin material;

a second heat insulation member, the second heat insulation member being a better insulator than the first heat insulation member, the second heat insulation member being made of a resin material that is connected to a distal end of said first heat insulation member;

a protection cover that sheathes said first heat insulation member and second heat insulation member;

a thermistor fine lead wire embedded in said first heat insulation member and second heat insulation member; and

a thermistor mounted substantially on a center of a turning end portion of said thermistor fine lead wire.

2. An ear-type clinical thermometer according to claim 1, wherein said second heat insulation member is tapered forwardly and is provided on the distal end with a concave surface, and wherein said turning end portion of said thermistor fine lead wire is bridged over said concave surface of said second heat insulation member to be exposed above said concave surface.

3. An ear-type clinical thermometer according to claim 2, wherein said concave surface of said second heat insulation member is a reflective surface.

4. An ear-type clinical thermometer according to claim 1, wherein a heat time constant of said thermistor is 1 second or lower.

5. An ear-type clinical thermometer according to claim 1, wherein a analogue switch having a plurality of terminals is provided at an output side of a power source circuit in a temperature measuring circuit and the analogue switch is a switch for correcting analogue to digital conversion errors.

6. An ear-type clinical thermometer according to claim 1, wherein a heat time constant of said thermistor is 0.1 second or lower.