Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Temperature detection
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-18
2004-12-21
Hindenburg, Max F. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Temperature detection
Reexamination Certificate
active
06832989
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an infrared clinical thermometer which detects infrared rays radiated from an ear drum.
2. Description of the Background Art
A conventional infrared clinical thermometer which detects infrared rays radiated from an ear drum is known.
In such an infrared clinical thermometer, a measurement switch is depressed while a probe is inserted into an external ear canal, the intensity of infrared rays radiated from an ear drum is detected by the probe, and a body temperature (more specifically, ear drum temperature) is measured on the basis of the detection result.
Measuring procedures performed when measurement is performed by using an infrared clinical thermometer according to a conventional art will be briefly described below.
FIG. 9
is a flow chart which shows measuring procedures of the infrared clinical thermometer according to the conventional art.
A power supply is turned on (S
60
), and a probe is inserted into an ear (external ear canal) (S
61
). In this state, when a measurement switch (SW) is depressed (S
62
), an infrared sensor arranged inside the probe receives infrared rays from an ear drum to measure an intensity of infrared rays (measurement operation by an A/D converter or the like) (S
63
). A body temperature is calculated on the basis of the measurement result (S
64
), and the body temperature is displayed on an LCD or the like (S
65
).
The following art is known (trade name: OMRON MC-505) is known. That is, measurement (A/D conversion) is performed a plurality of times in (S
63
), and a mean of the plurality of A/D-converted values is used (S
64
), so that a more accurate body temperature can be measured.
As described above, in the conventional art, the measurement switch is depressed while the probe is inserted into an external ear canal to measure a body temperature. However, in this case, the measurement may be performed while a condition where the probe is inserted is not clear, and a measurement error may be increased.
More specifically, when the light-receiving surface of an infrared sensor arranged inside the probe does not accurately face the ear drum, the intensity of infrared rays radiated from the ear drum cannot be accurately measured. When the probe is inclined, the temperature of the external ear canal is measured.
FIG. 10
is a diagram which shows measurement results of temperature distributions of an ear drum
70
and an external ear canal
71
. As shown in
FIG. 10
, it is understood that the temperature of the ear drum
70
is the highest inside the ear, and the temperature gradually decreases as it is away from the ear drum. In
FIG. 10
, the mean and dispersion of measurement results of a plurality of persons are shown.
In order to cancel the above drawbacks, in, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-215154 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,863, an art which employs a peak hold method which determines a body temperature by using the highest value of a plurality of measured values is disclosed.
According to this art, since a body temperature is calculated by a peak value of measured temperatures, possibility that a temperature obtained when a probe accurately faces an ear drum is captured is high.
However, in the conventional art described above, the following problems are posed.
First, the peak hold method described above is used, possibility that a body temperature obtained when an insertion condition of a probe is proper can be measured is high. However, a user cannot understand an insertion condition of the probe. For this reason, the body temperature may be measured while the insertion condition of the probe is still improper.
Therefore, in order to cause a user to learn a correct insertion position, the user must measure a plurality of times to be accustomed to use an infrared clinical thermometer.
Secondly, when measurement is performed while a probe is inserted into an external ear canal for a long time, or when measurement is repeated many times, a measurement error is large when measurement is performed while the temperature inside the probe is increased by heat received from the external ear canal or the like.
In the infrared clinical thermometer according to the conventional art, an interval for making it possible to perform the next measurement upon completion of the measurement may be set. However, since this interval is a fixed period of time, an interval until accurate measurement can be performed cannot be taken, and a measurement error may increase.
The interval time is started upon completion of the measurement regardless of the conditions or the like of the probe. For this reason, upon completion of the measurement, even though the probe is still inserted in the external ear canal, measurement can be performed after a fixed period of time. Therefore, the measurement error increases as described above.
Third, when the peak hold method is employed, a measurement error is generated depending on the surrounding environment temperature.
More specifically, in the peak hold method, a temperature is measured even though the probe does not face the ear drum, and the temperature is stored (held). For this reason, when the surrounding environment temperature is higher than the body temperature, before the probe is inserted into the external ear canal, the environment temperature has been stored. The surrounding temperature which is higher than the body temperature is measured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art, and has as its object to provide a reliable infrared clinical thermometer which can more accurately measure a temperature of an ear drum itself.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an infrared clinical thermometer which has a probe inserted into an external ear canal, and a detection sensor, arranged inside the probe, for detecting infrared rays radiated from an ear drum, including: detection means for detecting an insertion condition of the probe into the external ear canal; and permission means for permitting measurement depending on a detection result obtained by the detection means.
The permission of measurement by the permission means that measurement can be performed. Therefore, when measurement by the permission means is not permitted, for example, even though a measurement switch is depressed while the probe is inserted into the external ear canal, measurement is not performed.
According to the configuration of the present invention, measurement is performed only when an insertion condition of the probe into the external ear canal is proper, a measurement error caused by an improper insertion condition can be prevented.
The infrared clinical thermometer preferably includes notification means for notifying a user of measurement permission by the permission means.
As the notification means, for example, means realized by a buzzer, a voice message, or the like can be used.
According to this configuration, it can be known that the insertion condition of the probe into the external ear canal is proper.
The detection means preferably detects the insertion condition of the probe into the external ear canal on the basis of a detection result continuously detected by the detection sensor.
The detection means preferably includes decision means for deciding whether the probe is inserted into the external ear canal or not depending on whether an infrared intensity or a temperature calculated from the infrared intensity falls within a predetermined range or not on the basis of the detection result continuously detected by the detection sensor.
The “infrared intensity or the temperature calculated from the infrared intensity” means that the decision may be directly performed by the infrared intensity or may be performed by the temperature calculated from the infrared intensity. More specifically, in order to decide whether the probe is inserted into the external ear canal, the decision is performed by the detected temperature
Onishi Yoshihide
Ota Hiroyuki
Sato Taiga
Sato Tetsuya
Hindenburg Max F.
Omron Corporation
Szmal Brian
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