Thermal measuring and testing – Temperature measurement – Mechanical
Patent
1983-12-15
1987-03-24
Kittle, John E.
Thermal measuring and testing
Temperature measurement
Mechanical
374158, 206212, 206306, 428511, G01K 500, B65D 7526
Patent
active
046521453
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a protector for fever thermometers.
Especially in hospitals, the use of fever thermometers, both rectally and orally, involves significant risk for spreading infection. To avoid this, in addition to washing, a disposable protector of plastic film is used, usually heat-welded to a suitable sack-shape on an appropriate backing material. The manufacturing costs are high and the waste in materials is great. The weld is liable to irritate the patient during rectal insertion of the thermometer and the contact between the plastic film and the thermometer is poor.
It has now been discovered that an exceptionally suitable thermometer protector can be obtained by using a very expansible, thin plastic film, which has been combined with a suitable backing material of sufficient stability to make handling of the above mentioned thin plastic film possible when applying it to the thermometer. The arrangement thus comprises firstly a thin, expansible plastic film, and secondly an applied backing material of paper for example.
The thin, expansible plastic film can consist of one of many different known plastic materials, or mixtures or coextrusions thereof, e.g. EVA (ethylene Vinyl Acetate), EBA (ethylene Butyl Acrylate), PB (Poly Butylene), PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride), LLDPE (Linear Low Density Poly Ethylene), SBS (Styrene Butadiene Styrene). The usable film materials must have an expansibility of at least 700%, a yield strength not exceeding 15 MPa, a rupture or breaking strength not less than 32 MPa, preferably about 40 MPa according to ISO Test Method R-1184, and a thickness between 0.005 and 0.1, preferably 0.010-0.040 mm.
The backing material can suitably consist of ordinary unbleached kraft paper with an area weight of 20-50 g per m.sup.2. Other material such as metal foil or plastic film of suitable thickness can also be used.
The backing material can also be provided with holes, perforations or slots so that the point of the thermometer covered with the expansible plastic film can easily penetrate the paper.
It is also possible to provide the fever thermometer protector with a lubricant to facilitate rectal use of thermometers provided with the protector. The lubricant, such as petrolatum jelly, is applied between the expansible film and the backing material. In this case, the backing material can be provided with rupture indications to facilitate penetration of the fever thermometer through the backing material instead of holes or perforations through the backing material.
A great advantage in this case is that the outer surface of the protector can be protected from dirt before use and if desired can even be kept sterile. A film made by a process in which the material is subjected to high temperatures at least some time during the process, will usually without special steps be aseptic and protectors, according to the invention will be sterile without sterilization.
The fastening together of the thin plastic film and the backing material can be done by known methods used in lamination of paper and plastic in the packaging industry. For example, the plastic film and the backing material in rolled web form can be rolled off individually from separate rolls, with strings of adhesive being applied to one surface. The materials are then brought together and rolled up in a single roll. If the backing material is suitably coated, the webs can be joined together by heating the materials as they converge.
The new arrangement according to the invention thus consists of a combination of paper and expansible, thin plastic film which can be easily handled, held in the hand or handled in a simple mechanical device.
According to a preferred embodiment of the fever thermometer protector, the protective material, prior to use by application to a fever thermometer, consists of an expansible plastic film with properties according to the claims with a backing material applied to and covering one side. For use, the sensor end of the fever thermometer is pressed from the plastic film side through the bac
REFERENCES:
patent: 3235063 (1966-02-01), Jarund
patent: 3469685 (1969-09-01), Baermann
patent: 3735864 (1973-05-01), Eckhart
patent: 3809230 (1974-05-01), Poncy
patent: 3833115 (1974-09-01), Schapker
patent: 3904806 (1975-09-01), Waggoner
patent: 4164285 (1979-08-01), Dorman
Kelman Kurt
Kittle John E.
Minitube Aktiebolag
Seidleck James J.
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