Thermal measuring and testing – Temperature measurement – With removable cover for sensor
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-18
2001-05-01
Bennett, G. Bradley (Department: 2859)
Thermal measuring and testing
Temperature measurement
With removable cover for sensor
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224256
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Covers for medical probes are well known and come in various designs. For example, in Fraden et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,418, a speculum cover for an infrared thermometer is disclosed, where a pleated cover surrounds the probe that is inserted into the ear, for example, for taking of a body temperature by measurement of infrared (IR) radiation.
A similar probe is disclosed in O'Hara et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,936, in which an ear canal probe of a tympanic thermometer has a cover comprising a molded plastic sheath with a separate front membrane which is made of IR transparent material.
As a disadvantage, potentially the best IR transparent, flat plastic films such as polyethylene have common ingredients added to reduce the surface tack, which can interfere with IR transparency. Such materials without such ingredients thus exhibit an undesirable surface tack, so that sheaths made of such a material are difficult to use. Also, structures which are pleated, or which have a separate front end made of a different, IR transparent material bonded to the rest of the sheath, are difficult to reliably manufacture so that they do not tend to break or fail in use. Thus their cost is undesirably high.
By this invention, inexpensive, easily manufactured probes are provided in which plastic materials of the highest infrared or other radiation transparencies can be used without interfering with the ease of use of the probe sheath, or a diminishment of its reliability.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
By this invention, in one embodiment a cover for a medical probe is provided which comprises a generally tubular membrane having a closed end and an open end, and a mounting ring secured to the tubular membrane adjacent to the open membrane end, typically with an annular bond. In one embodiment, the mounting ring may have a first ring portion which is shaped to lock into engagement with the medical probe, while the probe has a probe member forward portion extending into the tubular membrane. The mounting ring also has a second ring portion carrying the securing bond to the tubular membrane. The second ring portion is attached to the first ring portion in a resilient manner to permit the membrane and mounting ring to be longitudinally stretched by the medical probe when mounted thereon, with the first ring portion being locked on the probe.
The tubular membrane typically comprises a film of plastic that is substantially transparent to typically infrared radiation. Preferably, that film is in the form of a closed-end plastic tube, which is positioned outside of an open-ended tube and bonded thereto, the open ended tube comprising a plastic material such as plastic film which has relatively low friction. Thus, the medical probe can easily enter into the generally tubular membrane, since it slides through the interior of the open-ended tube. The only barrier at the distal or outer end of the tube is the closed end of the outer, closed end tube, which is made of the infrared or other radiation-transparent material. Thus, the tubular probe sheath is easily applied and removed from the medical probe, while a highly desirable grade of infrared permeable membrane can be used, so that the sensor of the probe receives adequate infrared radiation through the outer end of the sheath.
Optionally, first and second ring portions as described above comprise a pair of rings that are coaxially bonded together. The second ring portion is bonded to the tubular membrane at a ring section that is axially flexible, to permit the membrane and the mounting ring to be axially stretched when mounted on a probe. Thus, it becomes possible for probe sheaths of this invention to be quite forgiving of dimensional variations that may take place due to differences in the medical probe design, and variations from lot to lot of the dimensions of the probe sheath. When applied to the medical probe, the probe sheath is normally stretched to a certain extent by the projecting probe, which presses against the outer end of the probe sheath. The amount of stretching from unit to unit may vary to a degree, due to planned or unplanned dimensional variations of the two systems, but the outer end of the probe sheath will normally be placed under some level of tension to smooth it out, thus forming an infrared-transparent window.
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Bennett G. Bradley
Gerstman George H.
Shaw Seyfarth
Verbitsky Gail
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