JP2712025B2 - Ear temperature measurement method using ear thermometer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for measuring ear temperature repeatedly using an ear thermometer for measuring the ear temperature of the ear canal by transmitting infrared radiation from a measurement field of the ear canal through a probe inserted into the ear canal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for reducing a measurement interval including a stabilization time wait after a measurement start switch is pressed or a measurement result is displayed and an input permission period is set after the measurement start switch is pressed. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an ear thermometer which measures a body temperature by inserting a probe into an ear canal usually has a conical hood at the tip.

[0003] In use, the hood formed at the tip of the probe is inserted into the ear canal, and infrared rays from the measurement visual field are passed through an entrance window and a waveguide provided in the ear thermometer, and an infrared ray detector ( The temperature of the ear canal over the visual field is measured by the output of the infrared detector. At this time, the measurement result is displayed on the LCD via the microcomputer after the AD conversion of the output. Further, as the probe, a type in which the hood is covered by a probe cover or a type in which the hood and the probe cover are integrated are often used.

Conventionally, in this kind of ear-type thermometer, after the probe is inserted, regardless of the magnitude of the output of the infrared detector at the time of starting the measurement when the measurement start switch is pressed, after the measurement, it is not necessary to shift to the next measurement. A stabilization wait time (also referred to as a measurement prohibition time) is set so as to always wait for stabilization.

[0005]

Therefore, even if the output of the infrared detector at the start of the measurement when the measurement start switch is pressed after the probe is inserted differs between the previous measurement and the next measurement, the size of the output is large. Regardless, the measurement interval between the two measurements remains unchanged. As is well known, in using an ear thermometer, since it is possible to accurately measure the target ear temperature by displaying the ear temperature not only once but repeatedly, at least from the user, for example, If the previous measurement time (primarily proportional to the probe insertion time) is significantly shorter than the next measurement time (primarily proportional to the probe insertion time), the measurement interval between them can be shortened, or / And after inserting the probe,
There is a need for an ear-type thermometer that can shorten the measurement interval even when the output of the infrared detector at the start of measurement when the measurement start switch is pressed is not constant but can be varied above and below a predetermined value. Then, when the ear temperature is repeatedly measured, the ear temperature is accurately measured while shortening the total measurement time.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide an ear temperature measuring method capable of shortening a measurement interval in an ear thermometer.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an ear temperature measuring method using an ear thermometer according to the present invention is directed to an infrared radiation from a measurement field of an ear canal through a probe inserted into the ear canal. When repeatedly measuring the ear temperature using an ear thermometer that measures the ear temperature of the ear canal by passing through, the output of the infrared detector at the time when the measurement start switch is pressed after inserting the probe is set in advance. This is because the stabilization wait after the measurement is performed only when the value is larger than the threshold value.

According to the present invention, from another viewpoint that the upper and lower limits of the stabilization wait time can be set, the probe insertion time is determined from the output of the infrared detector and the signal of the measurement start switch, and the stabilization wait time is determined. By calculating from the probe insertion time and the output level of the infrared detector, when the output of the infrared detector and the probe insertion time at the time when the measurement start switch is pressed are larger than a preset threshold value, It is possible to provide an ear temperature measuring method using an ear thermometer, wherein the stabilization waiting time is made longer and variable.

In any of these cases, the gist of the invention is:
This means that the stabilization wait time can be changed, and in this regard, the measurement method of the present invention is clearly different from the conventional measurement method in which the stabilization wait time is fixed for each measurement,
Therefore, the measurement method of the present invention has various advantages described below.

[0010]

[Operation] After the probe is inserted, the stabilization wait after the measurement is performed only when the output of the infrared detector at the time when the measurement start switch is pressed is greater than a preset threshold value. Later, it is not necessary to wait for stability before moving to the next measurement, and the measurement interval between both measurements can be made variable. As a result, when the ear temperature is repeatedly measured, the ear temperature can be accurately measured while shortening the total measurement time. In addition, the output of the infrared detector and the probe insertion time when the measurement start switch is pressed are
When the threshold value is larger than a preset threshold value, the stabilization wait time can be made longer and variable. In any of these cases, the stabilization wait time was not changed (fixed) in the past, but can be changed.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of an ear temperature measuring method using an ear thermometer according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The ear temperature measurement method uses an ear-type thermometer that measures the ear temperature of the ear canal by passing infrared radiation from the measurement field of the ear canal through a probe inserted into the ear canal. Thereafter, only when the output of the infrared detector (the output of the thermopile) V _tp at the point when the measurement start switch is pressed is larger than the preset threshold value V _trg , the stabilization wait after the measurement can be performed. .

The operation will be described below. In FIG. 1, the probe insertion time T _M is defined as a time zone from the time of probe insertion to the time of probe insertion. At this time, the ear thermometer can be measured by pressing the measurement start switch after inserting the probe. In this embodiment, the stabilization wait time is defined as a period from when the measurement start switch is pressed to when the input permission period is set. Further, in the ear thermometer of the present embodiment, the measurement result (measurement end) is displayed at the same time when the probe is inserted and removed. However, displaying the measurement result (end of measurement) before inserting the probe can also be included in the present invention.

Further, the relationship between the signal V _on of the measurement start switch after inserting the probe and the signal V _off of the measurement end switch at the time of insertion of the probe is k × under the condition of V _on > V _trg.
When V _on > V _trg , V _off = k × V _on . This V
coefficient k of _on, whether the probe is pulled out of the ear, i.e., is for calculating a threshold value for judging the presence or absence of the probe挿出. In this embodiment, k ≒
0.7. Further, under the condition of V _on > V _trg , k × V
_{If on} > _Vtrg , then _Voff = _Vtrg .

On the other hand, under the condition that the signal V _on of the measurement start switch after inserting the probe is not V _on > V _trg , that is, the output V _on of the infrared detector at the time when the measurement start switch is pressed is previously determined. Below the set threshold value V _trg, it is not necessary to wait for stability after measurement, and after measurement, there is no need to wait for stability before moving to the next measurement.
When the ear temperature is repeatedly measured, the ear temperature can be accurately measured while shortening the total measurement time.

In FIG. 2, first, in step 101,
The probe is inserted within the input permission period of the measurement start switch, and the measurement start switch is turned on under the condition of V _tp (output of the thermopile) = V _on (signal of the measurement start switch) (see step 102). At the end of the measurement (probe insertion time), the ear temperature of the measurement result is immediately displayed on the ear thermometer (see step 103).

Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in step 104, only when the output V _tp of the thermopile at the time when the measurement start switch is pressed is larger than the preset threshold value V _trg. It is characterized by waiting for stability after measurement. That is, at step 104, V _on >
If it is not V _trg , the measurement is completed, and the process can immediately proceed to the input permission period of the measurement start switch for re-measurement (see step 105). This eliminates the need to wait for stability after measurement, eliminates the need to wait for stability before moving to the next measurement after measurement, and shortens the total measurement time when ear temperature is measured repeatedly. Temperature can be measured accurately.

On the other hand, in step 104, when V _on > V _trg (when the probe is inserted in the ear), first,
As shown in step 106, k × V _on > V
Under the condition of _trg , a threshold value for determining whether or not the probe has been removed from the ear is calculated. In this embodiment, V
_off (measurement end switch signal) = k × V _on , k =
0.7 (see step 107).

In step 104, if V _on > V _trg , as shown in step 106, k × V
_{If not on} > V _trg , at step 108, V _off
= V _trg . In this manner, the presence or absence of probe insertion can be determined, and V _tp > V _off is not satisfied (see step 109). Stability waiting time T _nr (step 110)
After that, the process can be shifted to the input permission period of the measurement start switch for re-measurement in step 105.

As described above, in this embodiment, the stable waiting time T
Although fixing the _nr, signal V _on the measurement start switch after probe insertion, in no conditions at V _on> V _trg, i.e., the output V _on the infrared detector at the time of pressing the measurement starting switch, When the threshold value is equal to or less than the preset threshold value V _trg, there is no need to wait for stabilization after the measurement. Therefore, when the ear temperature is repeatedly measured, the ear temperature can be accurately measured while shortening the total measurement time.

In this embodiment, the stabilization waiting time is made unnecessary under a specific condition.
As another example, under other specific conditions, the upper limit of the stabilization wait time may be increased, and under other conditions, the lower limit of the stabilization wait time may be reduced, so that an optimum value may be obtained for each measurement. You may make it possible to set it.
In this way, the total measurement time can be reduced as compared with the conventional measurement method in which the stabilization wait time is fixed for each measurement. That is, in this other embodiment, the probe insertion time T _M can be determined from the output V _tp of the infrared detector and the signal V _{on of the} measurement start switch, and the stabilization waiting time T _nr
With the probe insertion time T _M and the infrared detector output level V
It can be calculated from _tp .

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, the stabilization waiting time can be made unnecessary under specific conditions,
The optimum measurement can be set for each measurement.As a result, the effect of being able to measure ear temperature accurately while shortening the total measurement time is shorter than the conventional measurement method in which the stabilization wait time is fixed for each measurement. is there.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

The output of V _tp ... infrared detector, V _on ... signal measurement start switch, T _M ... probe insertion time, V _trg ... previously have been set threshold, T _nr ... stabilization time.

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ear thermometer that measures the ear temperature of the ear canal by passing infrared radiation from a measurement field of the ear canal through a probe inserted into the ear canal. An ear-type thermometer using an ear-type thermometer, in which a wait for stabilization after measurement is performed only when the output of the infrared detector when the measurement start switch is pressed is greater than a preset threshold value. Temperature measurement method. 2. A probe insertion time when repeatedly measuring an ear temperature using an ear thermometer that measures an ear temperature of an ear canal by passing infrared radiation from a measurement visual field of the ear canal through a probe inserted into the ear canal. Is determined from the output of the infrared detector and the signal of the measurement start switch, and the stabilization wait time is calculated from the probe insertion time and the output level of the infrared detector, whereby the infrared detector at the time of pressing the measurement start switch is determined. The ear temperature measuring method using an ear thermometer, wherein the stabilization waiting time is made longer and variable when the output and the probe insertion time are larger than a preset threshold value. 3. The ear temperature measuring method using the ear thermometer according to claim 2, wherein the stable waiting time has an upper limit and a lower limit.