Method for determining temperature, radiation thermometer with several infrared sensor elements
US6898457B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 26, 1999 |
| Grant date | May 24, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 26, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01J5/0846
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention is directed to a method for determining a temperature by means of a radiation thermometer with multiple infrared sensor elements detecting infrared radiation from different regions and delivering corresponding temperature signals, in particular to a method for taking a patient's temperature by means of an ear thermometer. The method of the present invention is based on the known fact that the tympanic membrane has a higher temperature than the ear canal. Hence part of the sensor elements, that is, those that view the tympanic membrane, will detect a higher temperature than the remaining sensor elements that view the ear canal. According to the present invention, for evaluation only the temperature signal of that sensor element is used that supplies the peak temperature value by comparison with the other sensor elements.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.