The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 06, 1997
Filed:
Sep. 23, 1994
Donald M Szeles, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Walter Rubinstein, Southfield, MI (US);
Artech Industries, Inc., Keego Harbor, MI (US);
Abstract
An improved tympanic thermometer incorporates twin thermopiles, each including a set of sensing junctions and a set of reference junctions configured so that three of the four sets of junctions sense only the temperature of an ambient environment, while the fourth set of junctions receives energy from both the ambient environment and from the tympanic membrane of a patient whose temperature is being taken. The energy received from the tympanic membrane is intentionally not bandwidth limited, enabling an accurate temperature measurement to be calculated which is substantially independent of wavelength. A light pipe is optionally included to assist in carrying radiation from the tympanic membrane to the fourth set of thermocouple junctions used for temperature sensing. In the preferred embodiment a dielectric coating is internally applied within the light pipe, and interchangeable tubes may be provided which conform to the aural physiology of different patients, including children.