Temperature sensor structure

• US 9,562,811 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2009
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 37 Clinical Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cambridge Temperature Concepts Ltd.
• Inventors: Husheer, Shamus
• Primary Examiner(s): TOWA, RENE T
• Application Number:
  US13/061,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20110301493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,721 Days
• Field of Search: 600/549
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0271 Thermal or temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• 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: G01K 1/14 Supports; Fastening devices; Arrangements for mounting thermometers in particular locations
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/16 Special arrangements for conducting heat from the object to the sensitive element
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/165 for application in zero heat flux sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/42 Circuits effecting compensation of thermal inertia; Circuits for predicting the stationary value of a temperature

Abstract

A device for measuring temperature comprising: first and second temperature sensors enclosed in a first material having one or more material components; a contact surface for contacting a body whose temperature is to be measured, at least part of the contact surface being parallel to a lateral direction; wherein the first and second temperature sensors are arranged at different depths from the contact surface and the net thermal conductivity across the device from the contact surface through the first and second temperature sensors is greater than the net lateral thermal conductivity of the device through the first and second temperature sensors.

Claims

1. A device for measuring temperature comprising:

first and second temperature sensors enclosed in a first material having one or more materials;

a contact surface for contacting a body whose temperature is to be measured;

wherein the first and second temperature sensors are arranged at different depths from the contact surface and the net thermal conductivity across the device from the contact surface through the first and second temperature sensors is greater than the net thermal conductivity of the device in lateral directions parallel to the contact surface;

wherein a first material has an anisotropic thermal conductivity;

wherein the thermal conductivity of the first material has an anisotropy ratio of at least 2.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each depth is a distance from the contact surface to the respective temperature sensor along an axis substantially perpendicular to the contact surface.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a surface of the first material component provides at least part of said contact surface.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the net thermal conductivity across the device is lowest in the lateral directions.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each depth is a thermal depth defined by the net thermal conductance from the contact surface to the respective temperature sensor.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first and second temperature sensors are at the same distance from the contact surface as measured in a direction along an axis substantially perpendicular to the contact surface.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first material comprises a first material component and a second material component, the first and second temperature sensors being embedded in the first material component, wherein the second material component at least partially encloses the first material component and has a lower thermal conductivity than the first material component.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first material component has a greater thermal conductivity than the second material component by a factor of at least 4.

9. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second material component completely encloses the first material component.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second material component is thicker over the lateral extremities of the first material component than over the contact surface and its opposing surface.

11. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first material component is substantially disc-shaped and the plane of the disc is substantially parallel to the contact surface.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second material component forms a ring-shaped annulus about the disc-shaped first material, the plane of the ring being substantially coincident with the plane of the disc.

13. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first material component comprises at least first and second material parts having different thermal conductivities, the first temperature sensor being embedded in the first material part and the second temperature sensor being embedded in the second material part.

14. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first material component is a thermally conductive polymer.

15. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein, in use, a surface of the first material component remote from said contact surface is exposed.

16. A device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said remote surface supports a thin layer having a higher thermal conductivity than the first material.

17. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first material component has a thermal conductivity of at least 0.5 W/mK.

18. A device, for measuring temperature comprising:

first and second temperature sensors enclosed in a first material having a first material component and a second material component, the second material component at least partially enclosing the first material component and having a lower thermal conductivity than the first material component;

wherein the first material component comprises at least first and second material parts having different thermal conductivities, the first temperature sensor being embedded in the first material part and the second temperature sensor being embedded in the second material part; and

a contact surface for contacting a body whose temperature is to be measured;

wherein at least part of the contact surface is provided by the first and second material parts.