Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha

Terumo Corporation

Yutaka Muramoto

Susumu Kobayashi

Hideo Ishizaka

Yoshinori Ishii

Makoto Ikeda

Makoto Toriumi

Yasuhiro Yoshinaka

Yasuo Yamazaki

Taketoshi Ikegami

Electronic clinical thermometer

In a predicting-type electronic clinical thermometer, data acquired from a temperature sensor (51) at a very small time interval (.DELTA.t) is read in on a real-time basis, the data is converted into detected temperature (T) by means of a processor (9), the temperature is stored in a memory (7) and a temperature prediction is performed to obtain a predicted temperature (Tp). The rate of change (.DELTA.T/.DELTA.t) in the detected temperature is obtained based upon the detected temperature (T). The moment at which this rate of change attains a predetermined value is taken as an opportunity to check the temporal fluctuation of the predicted temperature within a fixed reference time range. If the predicted temperature is found to have stabilized, the temperature detection is terminated. If it has not stabilized, the temperature detection is continued. Thus, the process through which an allowable condition for a valid prediction was realized is investigated looking back a predetermined length of time from the moment at which the condition was realized, and the result of the investigation is applied when evaluating the validity of the prediction. As a result, a highly accurate temperature prediction can be performed even if the circumstances in which the thermometer is being used changes during temperature detection.

Electronic clincal thermometer

A predicting-type electronic clinical thermometer in which displayed temperature rapidly attains an equilibrium temperature before the temperature actually sensed does. The thermometer stores a weighting function, in which elapsed measurement time is a variable, prescribing a predetermined change in weighting. When temperature is being sensed, weighting based on the weighting function is applied to a difference value between the sensed body temperature and a predicted value of equilibrium temperature obtained based on the sensed body temperature. The temperature displayed is caused to make a smooth transition from the start of temperature detection to the final equilibrium temperature by adding the weighted difference value to the sensed temperature.

An apparatus for reading temperature values displayed by a plurality of electronic clinical thermometers includes a reader for reading the displayed temperature values, a retainer for retaining the electronic clinical thermometers in such a manner that temperature display sections thereof are positioned on the reader side, and moving means for moving the retainer and reader relative to each other so that the reader reads the displayed temperature values from the thermometers. In another aspect, the apparatus includes a reader for reading temperature values displayed displayed values by a plurality of electronic clinical thermometers, a retainer for retaining the electronic clinical thermometers in such a manner that temperature display sections thereof are positioned to face the reader, information generating means for generating patient identifying information corresponding to each position at which a thermometer is held in the retainer, moving means for moving the retainer and reader relative to each other so that the reader reads the displayed values from the thermometers, and an output unit for specifying displayed values, by the patient identifying information, read by the reader, and for outputting the displayed values so specified to an external unit.

Apparatus for reading displayed value of electronic clinical thermometer

An electronic clinical thermometer comprises a circuit for measuring and displaying the temperature of a portion being measured, a secondary battery for supplying electric power to the circuit, rectifier means connected to the secondary battery, a power receiving coil connected to the rectifier means for inducing a voltage in response to a change in an external magnetic field applied to the power receiving coil, and a hollow bar-shaped casing housing the circuit, the secondary battery, the rectifier means, and the power receiving coil. The secondary battery can be charged efficiently through the power receiving coil in response to the change in the external magnetic field. An apparatus for charging the electronic clinical thermometer comprises container means having a cylindrical cavity for accommodating a plurality of electronic clinical thermometers, a power transmitting coil disposed around the cylindrical cavity, and a.c. supply means for supplying an alternating current to the power transmitting coil, whereby the secondary battery can be charged by exciting the power receiving coil through inductive coupling between the power transmitting and receiving coils with the power transmitting coil positioned closely to the power receiving coil in the electronic clinical thermometer that is accommodated in the cylindrical cavity.

An envelope of an electronic clinical thermometer has an inner wall on which is mounted a vibrating element adapted to produce an audible tone. The portion of the envelope at which the vibrating element is provided is formed to include a portion that vibrates together with the vibrating element, when the latter is set into operation. The mounting arrangement for the vibrating element is defined in part by a recess formed in the inner wall of the envelope.

An electronic clinical thermometer includes a liquid crystal display element for displaying the result of a temperature measurement, and a lamp circuit for illuminating the liquid crystal display element automatically at the end of the temperature measurement only when a sensed amount of ambient light is insufficient to permit easy reading of the temperature displayed by the liquid crystal element. The lamp circuit is switched on and off electronically, eliminating the need for mechanical contacts and manually operated push-buttons, thus making it possible to obtain a liquid-tight structure.

A measuring apparatus is equipped with an input/output unit for delivering data to externally located equipment and for receiving data from the externally located equipment, or with an input unit for receiving data from the externally located unit, and is adapted to generate correlation data between data delivered by a sensing system provided within the measuring apparatus proper, and data delivered by a standard measurement system which can be disconnected from the measuring apparatus. The correlation data is generated by a data processing device located outside or located within the measuring apparatus, through the intermediary of the input/output unit or the input unit. The generated correlation data is stored, in non-volatile fashion, in a storage section located in the measuring apparatus, in such a manner that the data can be read out of the storage section in response to the data from the sensing system contained within the measuring apparatus.

Growing community of inventors

Fujinomiya, Japan

Yutaka Muramoto