JPH06165A - Probe for measuring body temperature - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To exactly measure temp. by forming continuous or discontinuous gaps between the probe to be inserted into the external auditory meatus and the external auditory meatus in the peripheral part at least at the front end of the probe and decreasing the conduction of heat between the external auditory meatus and the prove. CONSTITUTION:An outside cylinder 25 of the probe 10 to be inserted into the external auditory meatus is drawn at the front end 11 to form the gap with the external auditory meatus. A light transmission pipe 20 contained in the outside cylinder 25 converts the IR rays emitted by the eardrum 70 to an electric signal by a photoelectric converter 30 and outputs this signal to a measuring circuit 40. This measuring circuit 40 indicates the temp. according to the electric signal. The similar result is obtd. as well even if the front end of the outside cylinder 25 is rounded or plural projections are scattered in the peripheral part. As a result, the conduction of heat between the probe and the external auditory meatus is suppressed and the exact temp. of the eardrum is measured.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention receives infrared radiation from an eardrum including the ear canal and converts an electric signal from an infrared sensor which detects a temperature change due to the infrared radiation as an electric signal into a target temperature to measure the temperature. The present invention relates to a probe for measuring body temperature.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The infrared sensor of this type of thermometer is mainly
It is desirable to receive only infrared radiation from the eardrum,
Infrared radiation from the external auditory canal is also received due to the reflection in the external auditory canal, the complicated shape of the external auditory canal, the structure of the thermometer, etc., and the temperature change due to the infrared radiation is detected as an electric signal.

Generally, when temperature is measured, the temperature of the ear canal is different from the temperature of the probe to be inserted, so that heat is transferred between the ear canal and the probe at the same time when the ear canal is inserted.

Therefore, when the outer surface of the probe comes into contact with the ear canal when the probe is inserted, the infrared radiation amount changes in the portion of the ear canal where the temperature changes due to heat transfer between the probe and the ear canal. It interferes with temperature measurement.

FIG. 8 shows the relationship between the conventional probe and the external auditory meatus. The infrared rays radiated from the eardrum 70 and the infrared rays radiated from the inner wall of the outer ear pass through the light guide tube 20 inside the tip of the probe to make an infrared sensor (photoelectric conversion). Vessel) 30. However, the temperature of the inner wall of the ear canal changes due to the movement of heat due to the contact between the probe and the ear canal. For example, the temperature decreases, the amount of infrared radiation emitted from the portion 80 decreases, and the body temperature lowers. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, an infrared sensor (photoelectric converter) 30 is provided at the tip of the probe, and the light guide tube 20 is provided.
In the case where there is no, heat conduction occurs due to contact with the external auditory meatus, and a temperature change occurs.

[0006]

Further, this type of thermometer is characterized by a short-time (usually several seconds or less) temperature measurement, and the above phenomenon occurs within this range, and it takes a longer time to stabilize or restore. However, in order to obtain accuracy as a body temperature measurement, it is necessary to sacrifice short-time temperature measurement.

On the contrary, the action of inserting the probe changes the temperature and distribution inside the probe, and the component composition of infrared radiation also changes in conjunction therewith, which causes a temperature measurement error and reduces the cost. An object of the present invention is to propose a probe for measuring a body temperature of an infrared thermometer, which can reduce the transfer of heat between the tip of the probe inserted to detect the temperature in the ear canal and the ear canal.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems The above-mentioned problems are solved by forming a gap in at least a peripheral portion of a tip of a probe inserted into the ear canal to form a continuous or discontinuous gap between the probe and the ear canal to be inserted. This is achieved by providing a section.

Further, the above-mentioned problem is concretely provided by squeezing or rounding the tip of the probe so that the probe is brought into contact with the external auditory meatus on the base side of the distal end so that the distal end and the external auditory canal are connected. It is achieved by having a space.

Alternatively, it can be achieved by providing a protrusion or a recess in the external ear insertion portion and making the contact between the insertion portion and the external ear canal from surface contact to point contact.

Further, it is achieved by further cutting a groove in the external ear insertion portion to reduce the contact area between the insertion portion and the external auditory meatus.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the infrared thermometer includes a probe 10 and a light guide tube 2 that runs in the probe 10 in the longitudinal direction.
0, an outer tube 25 of the probe portion forming the light guide tube 20, an infrared-temperature signal converter 30 for converting the radiation intensity of infrared rays propagating in the light guide tube 20 into an electric signal, and the converted electric signal The measuring circuit 40 for measuring the temperature is provided.

Since the main part of this embodiment is the outer surface shape of the probe, the outer shape is emphasized in the drawings.

The probe 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a structure in which the probe is squeezed at the distal end portion 1 and the distal end portion 11 is made thinner than the proximal end portion to prevent contact with the ear canal.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the contact with the external auditory meatus is similarly cut off by rounding the tip portion 12.

FIG. 3 shows a structure in which the squeezing of FIG. 1 is started near the entrance of the external auditory meatus and the tip portion 13 is sufficiently elongated.

In FIG. 4, the protrusions 14 are scattered on the outer surface of the outer cylinder 25 of the probe inserted into the ear canal, whereby the surface contact between the ear canal and the probe is cut off.

In contrast to FIG. 4, in FIG. 5, the recess 15 is provided with an outer cylinder 25.
By being scattered on the top, surface contact with the ear canal is prevented.

In FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B of the sectional view, surface contact is prevented by forming a vertically long groove 16 running on the outer cylinder 25 of the probe in the longitudinal direction thereof.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment in which a needle wound groove 17 is formed on the outer cylinder 25 in several steps in a stepwise manner from the tip of the probe.

It is obvious that the present embodiment can be applied to a probe as shown in FIG. 9 in which the infrared sensor (photoelectric converter) 30 is at the tip of the probe and the light guide tube 20 is not provided.

[0023]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to reduce the contact area between the probe and the ear canal, so that it is possible to prevent the transfer of heat between the ear canal insertion portion of the probe and the ear canal. An infrared thermometer capable of measuring temperature can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a typical embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing another example of the probe shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view showing another example of the probe shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing another example of the probe shown in FIG.

5 is a partially enlarged view showing another example of the probe shown in FIG.

6A is a partially enlarged view showing another example of the probe shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

6B is a cross-sectional view of the probe shown in FIG. 6A.

7 is a partially enlarged view showing another example of the probe shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing heat transfer when a conventional probe is used.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing heat transfer when a conventional probe is used.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A body temperature characterized by comprising a space forming part for forming a continuous or discontinuous space between the probe and the ear canal to be inserted, at least in the peripheral part of the tip of the probe inserted into the ear canal. Measuring probe.