Thermal measuring and testing – Temperature measurement – In spaced noncontact relationship to specimen
Patent
1998-07-10
2000-08-15
Gutierrez, Diego
Thermal measuring and testing
Temperature measurement
In spaced noncontact relationship to specimen
374131, 374132, 374133, 600474, G01J 508, G01J 510
Patent
active
06102564&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a radiation clinical thermometer which detects thermal radiation energy to measure temperature without contact.
RELATED ARTS
To measure body temperature in a short period of time, a radiation clinical thermometer which allows one to choose the eardrum for measuring the temperature thereof without contacting the same has been suggested.
For example, the present applicant proposed the radiation clinical thermometer shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 in Japanese Patent Application No-Hei-7-294117. FIG. 10 is a front elevation view showing the radiation clinical thermometer proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. Hei-7-294117.
The radiation clinical thermometer 1 is a clinical thermometer designed to measure the temperature of the eardrum comprising a main body 4 and a probe 2. The main body 4 is provided with a liquid crystal display element 6 for displaying the body temperature and a measurement switch 5 of a push button structure.
The radiation clinical thermometer 1 operates as follows. First, the measurement switch 5 is pressed to turn on the power for starting temperature measurement, Subsequently, the probe 2 is inserted into the meatus auditorium externus of the subject to face the eardrum to measure the temperature thereof. The probe 2 is oriented to the eardrum properly and then the probe 2 is taken out of the meatus auditorium externus. The liquid crystal display component 6 shows the maximum temperature measured here, so that the temperature of the eardrum, that is, the body temperature, is displayed to allow one to read the display as the body temperature of the subject.
FIG. 11 is a partially cut-out cross-sectional view showing the probe 2 of the radiation clinical thermometer shown in FIG. 10.
The probe 2 is provided, on the top-end thereof, with a filter 7 which has transmission wavelength characteristics. The dustproof filter 7 is made from optical crystal such as silicon (Si) or barium fluoride (BaF.sub.2) or a polymer such as polyethylene, and selectively transmits infrared-wavelength radiation.
A light guide tube 8 is a tube which is provided to efficiently converge the thermal radiation from the eardrum the temperature of which is to be measured, made of metal pipes such as copper, brass, or stainless steel, and the inner surface of which is a mirror-finished surface coated with gold (Au) to increase the reflectivity. The application of the coating, however, will not allow the inner surface of the light guide tube 8 to become a perfect reflector having a reflective index of 1.00 and thus cause the inner surface of the light guide tube 8 to remain more or less radiative.
A light guide tube 9 is made from the same material as the light guide tube 8 with the inner surface treated in the same way as the light guide tube 8 and one end (on the side of the filter 7) sealed so that infrared radiation cannot come in from the temperature-measured object. In addition, the light guide tube 9 is provided close to the light guide tube 8 so as to keep approximately the same temperature as the light guide tube 8. The condition required for the light guide tube 9 is to reach approximately the same temperature as the light guide tube 8 but not always necessarily to be the same in material or inner surface condition.
A first infrared sensor 10 detects the infrared radiation emitted by the temperature-measured object and converged by the light guide tube 8, and also detects the thermal radiation from the light guide tube 8 itself. A second infrared sensor 11 detects the thermal radiation from the light guide tube 9 itself because the top-end of the light guide tube 9 is sealed. In addition, the second infrared sensor 11 is provided close to the first infrared sensor 10 so as to have approximately the same temperature as the first infrared sensor 10. A temperature sensitive sensor 12 is a sensor which allows for measuring the temperature of the first infrared sensor 10 and the second infrared sensor 11.
The operation principle with the first and
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Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
De Jesus Lydia
Gutierrez Diego
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