Electrical pulse counters – pulse dividers – or shift registers: c – Applications – Measuring or testing
Patent
1989-05-24
1991-01-22
Heyman, John S.
Electrical pulse counters, pulse dividers, or shift registers: c
Applications
Measuring or testing
374208, 340573, G01K 722, A61B 500
Patent
active
049875795
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic clinical thermometer and, more particularly, to an electronic clinical thermometer in which at least the temperature sensing portion or the entire thermometer has a flexible structure which adapts itself to any part of a body surface for automatically measuring body temperature or body surface temperature over an extended period of time.
2. Description of the Related Art
The temperature sensing portion of conventional electronic clinical thermometers has a solid, rod-shaped form and is fixedly inserted into a specific part of the body, such as the armpit, rectum or mouth, to measure temperature. Accordingly, the temperature sensing portion or the entire thermometer lacks a flexible structure, so that the body cannot move freely while its temperature is being measured. In a case where a part of the body other than those mentioned above, such as the surface of the body, is to have its temperature measured, it is extremely difficult to affix the temperature sensing portion to the body surface owing to its shape.
Further, the conventional electronic clinical thermometer is such that the results of body temperature measurement are successively displayed by a display element such as a liquid-crystal cell. This means that if a change in body temperature over a given day is to be measured, it is necessary to repeatedly observe the displayed temperature and record it. Such a thermometer is troublesome to handle and involves considerable risk of error as far as recording the temperature is concerned.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been devised to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art and its object is to provide an electronic clinical thermometer at least the temperature sensing portion of which, or the entire thermometer, has a flexible structure which adapts itself to any part of a body surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic clinical thermometer having a compact, flexible structure which adapts itself to a body surface, and in which body temperature can be measured and recorded automatically over an extended period of time through a simple arrangement and operation.
In order to attain the foregoing objects, an electronic clinical thermometer according t the present invention has an electronic circuit which includes a temperature-responsive portion and a signal extracting portion, a flexible substrate mounting the electronic circuit, a flexible, heat-insulative covering member for sealing and covering the electronic circuit and flexible substrate with the exception of the temperature-responsive portion and signal extracting portion, and affixing means provided on the periphery of the heat-responsive element at an outer surface of the covering member.
Further, in order to attain the foregoing objects, an electronic clinical thermometer according to the present invention has an electronic circuit comprising a temperature-responsive portion and a signal extracting portion, a flexible substrate mounting the electronic circuit, and a flexible, heat-insulative covering member for sealing and covering the electronic circuit and flexible substrate with the exception of the temperature-responsive portion and signal extracting portion, wherein the electronic circuit has temperature sensing means for sensing temperature by the temperature-responsive portion, a memory for storing a plurality of items of data, counter means for cyclically addressing the memory from a O address to an N address, measurement control means for detecting temperature at a predetermined period by the temperature sensing means, successively storing the sensed temperature data in the memory, and stopping storing of temperature data in response to designation of the N address by the counter means, and read-out means for successively outputting the data of the memory to a signal extracting portion in response to a read-out signal form the signal extracting portion.
In a preferred embo
REFERENCES:
patent: 3960138 (1976-06-01), Doss et al.
patent: 4090064 (1978-05-01), Turner
patent: 4551031 (1985-11-01), Ishikawa et al.
patent: 4642785 (1987-02-01), Packard et al.
patent: 4658407 (1987-04-01), Iwama
Muramoto Yutaka
Yoshinaka Yasuhiro
Heyman John S.
Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
LandOfFree
Electronic clinical thermometer does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Electronic clinical thermometer, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electronic clinical thermometer will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1559509