Patent Application
20080042075
For a further understanding of the invention, reference will be made to the following detailed description of the invention which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing, where:
Referring now to
Referring now to
The temperature probe 20 may be used to take a patient's temperature orally by placing the tip 26 of the probe 20 in a sublingual pocket beneath the tongue at the back of a patient's mouth, or axillarily by placing the tip 26 of the probe 20 in the pocket of the patient's arm pit, or rectally by insertion of the tip 26 of the elongate member 22 of the probe 20 into a patient's rectum. For a more detailed discussion of such a heating element and the other aforementioned features, as well as other features that may be included in conventional practice in a medical thermometer, reference should be made to the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,632,555; 6,000,846; 6,036,361; 6,827,488 and 6,971,790.
A probe chamber 38 is provided in association with the base housing 12 into which the temperature probe 20 is inserted for convenient storage when not in use. The probe chamber 38 may be mounted to the exterior of the base housing 12, for example to the rear of the base housing 12, or incorporated into the base housing 12, for example such as depicted in
At least one germicidal lamp 50 is provided in operative association with the interior volume 45 for emitting light capable of providing germicidal action for killing any germs residing on the exterior surface of the elongate member 22 of the temperature sensing probe 20 suspended within the probe chamber 38. For example, the at least one germicidal lamp 50 may be, but is not limited to, an ultraviolet light emitting lamp emitting light in the ultraviolet wavelength spectrum. The at least one germicidal lamp 50 may be disposed within the interior volume 45 of the probe chamber 38 itself, such as for example extending longitudinally through the interior volume 45, as illustrated in
To take a patient's temperature, the user removes the temperature probe 20 from the probe chamber 38. The thermometer 10 may be configured such that removal of the probe 20 from the probe chamber 38 automatically activates the thermometer 10, for example as described in greater detail in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,827,488. If the thermometer 10 is not configured for automatic activation, the user will push an appropriate button (not shown) on the base housing 12 to activate the thermometer.
After verifying that the probe 20 is indeed the correct probe for the intended temperature measurement mode, i.e. orally, axillarily or rectally, and that the display 18 indicates that the thermometer 10 is in the intended temperature measurement mode, and if not manually selecting the correct temperature measurement mode, the user inserts the temperature probe 20 into the appropriate position on the patient. The user then holds the probe in position until a temperature reading appears on the display 18, typically about 10 to 15 seconds, and thereafter removes the temperature probe. The patient's temperature will be displayed on the display screen 18. When the temperature measurement process has been completed, the user reinserts the temperature sensing probe 20 into the probe chamber 38 for sterilization and storage until again needed for measuring a patient's temperature.
The thermometer 10 may be configured such that reinsertion of the probe 20 from the probe chamber 38 automatically activates the at least one germicidal lamp 50 to emit germicidal action light into the interior volume 45 of the probe chamber 38 to irradiate the elongated member 22 of the probe 20 now suspended therein. For example, a switch 70 may be provided in operative association with the probe well 40 for providing an indication of whether the temperature sensing probe 20 is stowed within the probe well 40 or is removed from the well. By monitoring the switch 70, the processor 100 determines when the temperature sensing probe is reinserted fully within the probe well 40 and activates the germicidal lamp 50 upon reinsertion of the temperature sensing probe fully within the probe well. The switch 70 may be two-position, such as for example the two-position switch disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,827,488, that moves from a first position to a second position when the temperature sensing probe 20 is removed from the probe well 40 and returns from the second position to the first position when the temperature sensing probe 20 is reinserted into the probe well 40. The processor may be programmed to automatically deactivate the at least germicidal lamp 50 after a specified period of time from activation sufficient to sterilize the exterior surface of the elongated member 22, generally at least about 15 seconds, and usually about 15 seconds to about 30 seconds. It is within the knowledge of a skilled practitioner in the art to select the length of time that the germicidal light is active based upon the surface being sterilized and the type of germs expected to be resident on that surface prior to sterilization.
When using conventional prior art medical thermometers, a probe cover must be positioned over the elongated member of the temperature sensing probe, whether used in the oral, rectal or axillary temperature measurement modes, as a necessary hygienic protection measure to guard against cross-contamination of the temperature sensing probe from patient to patient. The sterilization of the temperature sensing probe 20 of the portable thermometry apparatus of the invention in-situ when reinserted into the probe chamber 38 between usages obviates the need to use such probe covers, not only eliminating the expense associated with such covers, but also simplifying the design of the temperature sensing probe. Prior art temperature sensing probes were customarily designed with a mechanism for retaining the probe cover thereon during usage and an additional mechanism for releasing the probe cover for disposal after usage without handling of the used probe cover by the user of the thermometer. With the in-situ sterilization feature of the portable thermometry apparatus of the invention, both of the retention mechanism and the release mechanism may be eliminated.
The present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the exemplary embodiments as illustrated in the drawing. It will be understood by one skilled in the art that various changes in detail may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.
