HK1026353A - Protective two position shell for an infrared thermometer - Google Patents

Description

Dual position protective case for infrared thermometer

Background

The present invention relates generally to Infrared (IR) thermometers, and more particularly to an infrared thermometer and method for measuring the temperature of an object, and more particularly to an infrared thermometer for measuring the temperature of an object having a rotatable protective housing operatively connected to an IR containing housing.

Infrared temperature measurement methods based on various designs have been available for many applications. Typically, early thermometers of this type were designed to measure the temperature of inaccessible objects or objects operating at high temperatures (e.g., the interior of an industrial furnace). These thermal environments are well suited for infrared detection because of the large temperature difference between the ambient environment and the target object and there are few other options available.

In recent years it has been found that infrared temperature sensing techniques can be applied to clinical temperature measurements, and in particular, that the body temperature of a patient can be measured diagnostically by sensing infrared radiation emitted from the tympanic membrane of the ear. It has been found that the tympanic membrane has a temperature very close to the actual body temperature, and measurement of the tympanic membrane temperature using infrared detection techniques has allowed an accurate reading to be obtained in a matter of seconds.

The present application is directed to improvements in U.S. patent 4,797,840 and its reissue re.34,789 and 5,368,038, both assigned to the assignee of the present invention and the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

As disclosed in the above patents, the temperature of an object, such as a human body, can be determined by using a contact type thermometer or by measuring natural radiant energy from the human body, for example, in the far infrared range. Infrared radiation, which is directly related to the temperature of an object, has been used to determine the temperature of the human body.

Medical thermometers are useful in diagnosing and treating many diseases. In the past, measuring the body temperature of a patient was most commonly done using a mercury thermometer. A disadvantage of this thermometer is that it takes 1 minute or more to obtain an accurate reading and is sterilized before each use. Still further, electronic thermometers have become popular because they take a very short time to obtain an accurate temperature reading, and the probe of an electronic thermometer is usually inserted into a disposable protective cover before use. Such electronic thermometers can be quickly reused and are substantially hygienically reliable when used with a sanitary sheath. However, since the temperature measurement is made through a sanitary cover that must be equal to the patient's body temperature, it can take up to 30 seconds to obtain an accurate reading of the patient's body temperature. Such thermometers are also commonly used through the mouth or rectum.

It is also known to measure the temperature in a patient's body using the ear canal and tympanic membrane. Electronic thermometers that measure the temperature of the tympanic membrane by direct contact with the tympanic membrane are well known and have been described in many U.S. patents. However, such devices have proven to have certain drawbacks, such as: can cause discomfort to the patient; to reduce the time required to obtain an accurate temperature value, the probe is inserted without a sheath, thus requiring sterilization between uses; or a sheath or speculum may be required for hygienic purposes, which increases the time required to obtain an accurate measurement.

More recently, infrared thermometers have been developed that avoid contact with the site where the temperature measurement is actually made and are designed to measure the body temperature of a patient from the ear canal and/or tympanic membrane. As described in the above patents, an infrared detector can receive infrared radiation through an internally polished frustum serving as a sheath and insulator, so that temperature readings are only from the ear canal.

As shown in FIG. 1, a representative prior art medical infrared thermometer 10 is shown in an exploded view. The thermometer includes a self-contained, battery-powered device having a probe 12 adapted for insertion into the ear canal short of the tympanic membrane. The housing member 14 of the thermometer 10 is shaped to be easily grasped by a user. The thermometer has an activation button 16 which, when depressed, activates the entire device, thereby obtaining a reading of infrared radiation from within the ear canal.

The shape and size of the probe 12 in front of the thermometer is adapted to the configuration of the human ear canal. Prior to insertion into the ear canal, the probe 12 is covered by a probe cover 18, which is typically made of a thin polymeric material that is substantially transparent to light in the near and far infrared spectral ranges.

As shown, the electronic circuit 22 is connected to the IR module 20 by a cable 24. A power source 26 in the form of a 9 volt battery is connected to the circuitry 22 and is typically housed within the housing 14. Other conventional components are used to enclose the components of the IR thermometer within the housing 14.

The front of the probe is used to collect infrared light from the tympanic membrane and surrounding tissue. An infrared sensor assembly 20 is located in the housing member 14 of the thermometer 10 away from the distal end of the probe.

In the past, infrared thermometers have typically been stored in a separate secondary protective device or substantially hollow housing member when not in use (not shown, but see, by way of specific example, U.S. patent 4,602,642 to O' Hara et al). During non-use, the infrared thermometer with exposed probe 12 is inserted into a separate second hollow protective shell with probe 12 enclosed within the hollow portion of the separate second housing member. Furthermore, such special, separate hollow protective casings usually comprise a storage structure for the probe protection covers.

Having a completely separate protective housing member for the IR thermometer has proven inconvenient and expensive. The inconvenience of a separate protective housing member is because it cannot always be brought very close to the user and separated from the IR thermometer when in use. If one were to resort to two separate housing members for use with prior art IR thermometers, after use, the user would have to put the second housing member in place and insert the IR thermometer into the hollow, separate second protective/storage housing member.

Furthermore, the cost of the separate second housing member for protecting and storing the infrared thermometer is equal to or close to the cost of the first housing member (excluding the IR components housed therein). In addition, since the separate second case member may be lost or misplaced, inconvenience may be caused and a certain replacement cost of the second case member may be incurred.

While the above-described IR thermometers are clearly technically advanced, they are complex in that they comprise two separate housing members, and are therefore expensive to manufacture, and have high part replacement costs.

Accordingly, there is a need for a new and improved infrared thermometer and method for measuring the temperature of an object. Such an improved infrared thermometer should have a single housing member and include provisions for protectively storing the IR thermometer during periods of non-use; it should be more economical to manufacture and not require a separate second housing member to serve as a separate protective/storage housing, thus eliminating the need for replacement and replenishment in the event that a separate second protective/storage housing member is lost.

Summary of The Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved IR thermometer which is accurate, reliable and economical to manufacture.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a medical IR thermometer that is compact, inexpensive, and convenient to use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved infrared thermometer which does not require a separate protective/storage housing component, thereby reducing the complexity and cost of the IR thermometer.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, there is provided an infrared thermometer comprising: a first housing member; a sensor carried by said first housing and responsive to infrared radiation for producing an electrical signal indicative of the change in output upon initial receipt of radiation; means carried by said first housing and optically aligned with said sensor for directing infrared radiation from an object whose actual temperature is to be measured to said sensor; means carried by said first housing for causing said sensor to respond to said radiation; electronic means carried by said first housing for processing said signal to produce a reading representative of the actual temperature of said object; a second housing member which protects exposed internal components located within the first housing member when the thermometer is not in use; and a hinge assembly operatively connecting the first housing member and the second housing member such that the two housing members are rotatable about 90 degrees to about 180 degrees relative to each other.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

Brief description of the drawings

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a representative prior art medical infrared thermometer;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the medical infrared thermometer of the present invention in a closed or storage position;

FIG. 3 is a view of the thermometer shown in FIG. 2 with portions shown in phantom and portions cut away;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the thermometer of FIG. 2 in an open, ready-to-use position;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the thermometer of FIG. 4 in an open, ready-to-use position;

FIG. 6 is an exploded side view of the thermometer of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 illustrating the major subcomponents and their assembled relationship;

FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of the battery compartment and battery door of the thermometer of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view showing the internal structure of the first and second housings of the thermometer of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the infrared and electronic circuit components of the thermometer of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a rear view of the IR and electronic components of the thermometer of the present invention shown in FIG. 9 rotated 90;

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a thermal sensor attached to the circuit board and associated components of the infrared thermometer of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the waveguide and probe assembly of the infrared thermometer of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a side view of a waveguide and probe connected to the circuit board of the infrared thermometer of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a front view of a probe and waveguide assembly of the present invention;

fig. 15 is a front view of a mating assembly member of the battery compartment member of the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention

Before the present invention is described in detail, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways. It is also to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

As described in us patent 5,368,038, a medical infrared thermometer is a self-contained, battery-powered device having a probe adapted for insertion into the ear canal short of the tympanic membrane. An activation button is provided on the first housing member which, when depressed, activates the device to take an infrared radiation reading from the ear canal.

The shape and size of the probe in front of the thermometer is adapted to the configuration of the human ear canal. Prior to insertion into the ear canal, the probe is covered by a protective cover for the probe, which is typically made of a thin polymer material that is substantially transparent to light in the near and far infrared spectral ranges.

The task of the front of the probe is to collect infrared light from the tympanic membrane and surrounding tissue. The infrared sensor is far away from the tail end of the probe and is positioned in the shell of the thermometer.

As shown in fig. 2-11, an IR thermometer according to a particular embodiment of the present invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 30. The IR thermometer 30 generally includes: a first housing member 34 having an interior cavity 33; a waveguide 34 contained within the probe for directing infrared radiation into the lumen 33; a shutter assembly 36 for controlling the passage of infrared radiation through the waveguide 34; a sensor assembly 38; an ambient temperature sensor 40; an electronic circuit 42; and a second housing member 50 connected to the first housing member by a hinge 52.

The first housing member 32, which has a hinge at one end 54, together with the mating hollow second housing member 50, forms a pistol-grip-type handle sized for one-handed operation when the two housing members 32, 34 are in the open position as shown in fig. 4. When the two housing members are rotated 180 degrees relative to each other, they will form a closed unit in a second position whereby the probe is protectively stored in the interior space of the second housing member 50, as best seen in fig. 2 and 3.

The second housing member 50 is substantially hollow and is operatively connected to the first housing member 32 by a hinge 52. A holding device 60 for storing a plurality of probe covers 62 for future use is formed in the cavity of the second housing 50. The upper end 64 of the first housing member 32 includes an internal cavity for mounting the pyroelectric sensor assembly and the ambient temperature sensor and provides a housing for infrared radiation other than extraneous infrared radiation received through the waveguide in the probe. A waveguide is mounted on the front side of the first housing member 32 and is aligned with the pyroelectric sensor so that infrared radiation from the object to be measured can be directed or aimed at the pyroelectric sensor mounted within the cavity.

It should be noted that all of the working elements of the IR thermometer of the present invention, including the battery, are contained within about half of the space as in the prior art IR thermometers. Due to the use of new application specific integrated circuits (described in U.S. patent application 08/809496 (attorney docket 1511- > 033) filed 3/1997) and other components, the power requirements of the IR thermometer of the present application have been greatly reduced, and the supply batteries used to supply power have been correspondingly reduced. While prior art IR thermometers typically required 9 volt batteries, the IR thermometer of the present invention only required 3 very small AAA size batteries, which occupied about 40% less space in the housing than a 9 volt battery. Thus, the thermometer of the present invention is clearly space efficient while maintaining the same battery life. Since the space for accommodating the infrared thermometer element can be reduced, it becomes possible to eliminate a separate protective case member.

In particular, all of the infrared thermometer components, including the battery, can be mounted in an area that is nearly half the size of the prior IR thermometer housings. This incorporation allows the remaining area or portion of the prior IR thermometer housing which was used to house the IR element and battery to provide a space or region which encloses the probe within the hollow protective region, thereby eliminating the need for a separate second protective/storage housing component as described above.

The upper half of the first housing member of the old IR thermometer, now containing or containing all of the IR components and batteries, is connected to the upper half by a hinge 52, and now becomes a protection/storage area for protecting/storing the IR sensing components contained in the upper half of the first housing member and for protecting/storing the probe cover 60.

Thus, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when in the closed or non-use position, the probe 35 is located within the hollow lower housing member 50, and when in the open position, the hollow lower housing member forms a pistol-type grip that is easy to hold, with the two housings in combination being open, the first housing member being shaped to receive the IR element of a prior art IR thermometer.

The hinge member 52 connecting the first (upper) housing member 32 and the second (lower) housing member 50 of the present invention includes means for locking the probe integral with the first housing member in the hinged second housing member when in the closed or storage position and for locking the IR thermometer in the open position when operated by a user to form a pistol-type grip for one-handed grasping.

As shown in fig. 6, in which the respective elements of the infrared thermometer of the present invention are shown in an exploded state. The relationship between the various infrared elements including the circuit board 70, the battery compartment member 72, and the battery door 74 is clearly shown. The infrared components, including sensors, shutter mechanisms, etc., are located within a subassembly, generally indicated by the numeral 76.

Referring now to fig. 7, a battery compartment 74 and a battery door 72 are shown. It should be noted that the hinge 52 includes two semi-circular members 80, 81 operatively connected to the first coupling member 73 and the mating battery compartment 72, respectively. The semicircular members 80, 81 together with the two flange members 82, 84 shown in fig. 8 constitute the hinge 52.

Fig. 8 shows the condition of the inner spaces of the case members 32 and 50 before the infrared element and the battery are mounted to the battery chamber of the first case member 32 or the probe cover is provided in the second case member 50.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the infrared and electronic subassembly 76 of fig. 6.

The printed circuit board 70 is shown attached to the sensor assembly and speculum above it. An actuator end cap 86 is shown attached to an actuator 88. the actuator 88 may open the shutter so that the waveguide receives infrared radiation from a target.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged front view of the infrared and sensor components including the printed circuit board of fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is an exploded view showing the components assembled on the printed circuit board 70 shown in fig. 9 and 10. A shutter (not shown) is remote from the left side of the figure and is separated from the release member and plunger by a backing block member 90. The release member 92 and plunger 94 are shown in an exploded position. The thermal sensor 96 is shown attached to the circuit board with a spacer 98 therebetween. The ambient temperature sensor 100 is attached to the circuit board as shown.

Fig. 12 is an exploded view of the probe head attached to the circuit board, which includes a front block member 90, a waveguide 34, a septum 102, a septum holder 104, and a speculum 106.

FIG. 13 is a side view of the exploded probe of FIG. 12, and FIG. 14 is a front view of the probe of FIG. 12. The mating member 73 cooperates with the battery compartment to position the electronic subassembly 76 therebetween and into the interior space of the first housing member 32 as shown in fig. 8.

Thus, it can be seen that the new and improved IR thermometer according to the present invention can greatly reduce the space for housing the IR element and the battery; the manufacture is more convenient; two rotatably connected housings are required, the size of which is approximately just as large as one of the two housing components of the prior art IR thermometer; the manufacturing costs are also lower compared to prior art IR thermometers.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. An infrared thermometer comprising:

a first housing member;

a sensor carried by said first housing and responsive to infrared radiation for producing an electrical signal indicative of the change in output upon initial receipt of radiation;

means carried by said first housing and optically aligned with said sensor for directing infrared radiation from an object whose actual temperature is to be measured to said sensor;

means carried by said first housing for causing said sensor to respond to said radiation;

electronic means carried by said first housing for processing said signal to produce a reading representative of the actual temperature of said object;

a second housing member which protects exposed internal components located within the first housing member when the thermometer is not in use; and

a hinge assembly operatively connecting the first housing member and the second housing member such that the two housing members are rotatable about 90 degrees to about 180 degrees relative to each other.

2. An IR thermometer according to claim 1 further comprising:

means operatively connected to said hinge means for locking the two housing members in a closed position.

3. An IR thermometer according to claim 1 wherein said hinge means further comprises:

means for locking the two housing members in an open position.

4. An IR thermometer according to claim 1 wherein said second housing member further comprises:

a device for storing a plurality of disposable protective covers.

5. An IR thermometer according to claim 3 wherein said first housing member and said second housing member when in said open position form a portable pistol-type grip handle for single-handed operation of said IR thermometer.

6. An apparatus for measuring IR radiation from the tympanic membrane of a subject without contact therewith, comprising:

a first housing member;

a sensor mounted within the first housing, wherein the first housing includes an IR transmitting means for passing IR radiation between the tympanic membrane and the sensor;

operatively connected to said sensor for converting IR radiation detected by said sensor into a signal corresponding to the temperature of said object to be measured;

means capable of delivering a sufficient amount of IR radiation to determine the temperature of the object to be measured;

a second housing member which protects exposed internal components located within the first housing member when the thermometer is not in use; and

a hinge assembly operatively connecting the first housing member and the second housing member such that the two housing members are rotatable about 90 degrees to about 180 degrees relative to each other.

7. An IR thermometer according to claim 6 further comprising:

means operatively connected to said hinge means for locking the two housing members in a closed position.

8. An IR thermometer according to claim 6 wherein said hinge means further comprises:

means for locking the two housing members in an open position.

9. An IR thermometer according to claim 6 wherein said second housing member further comprises:

a device for storing a plurality of disposable protective covers.

10. An IR thermometer according to claim 8 wherein said first housing member and said second housing member when in said open position form a portable pistol-type grip handle for single-handed operation of said IR thermometer.