Devices and sensing methods for measuring temperature from an ear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11213252-B2
Application number	US-201816160695-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2018
Priority date	Oct 20, 2017
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device comprises an enclosure configured for insertion into the ear canal and comprising a distal end configured to extend at least beyond a first bend of the ear canal. A distal temperature sensor is situated at a location of the enclosure that faces a tragus-side of the ear canal between the first and second bends when the enclosure is fully inserted into the ear canal. A proximal temperature sensor is situated on the enclosure at a location spaced apart from a surface of the ear canal and proximal of the distal temperature sensor in an outer ear direction when the enclosure is fully inserted into the ear canal. A processor, coupled to the distal and proximal temperature sensors and to memory, is configured to calculate an absolute core body temperature using a heat balance equation stored in the memory and the first and second temperature signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device configured to measure temperature from within an ear canal of an ear comprising a first bend and a second bend, the device comprising:
an enclosure configured for insertion into the ear canal and comprising a distal end configured to extend at least beyond the first bend;
a distal temperature sensor situated at a location of the enclosure that faces a tragus-side of the ear canal distal to the first bend and proximal to the second bend when the enclosure is fully inserted into the ear canal, the distal temperature sensor configured to sense one or both of conductive heat and convective heat and to produce a first temperature signal;
a proximal temperature sensor situated on the enclosure at a location spaced apart from a surface of the ear canal and proximal to the distal temperature sensor location in an outer ear direction when the enclosure is fully inserted into the ear canal, the proximal temperature sensor configured to sense one or both of conductive heat and convective heat and to produce a second temperature signal;
a memory configured to store a pre-established heat balance equation; and
a processor coupled to the distal and proximal temperature sensors and the memory, the processor configured to calculate an absolute core body temperature using the heat balance equation and the first and second temperature signals.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the distal temperature sensor is situated at a location of the enclosure that faces a superficial temporal artery branch of an external carotid artery when the enclosure is fully inserted into the ear canal.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
a temperature measured by the distal temperature sensor is closer to a body core temperature than a temperature measured by the proximal temperature sensor; and
the temperature measured by the proximal temperature sensor is closer to an ambient temperature than the temperature measured by the distal temperature sensor.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pre-established heat balance equation characterizes a temperature gradient of the ear for a population of persons over a range of ambient temperatures.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the absolute core body temperature calculated by the processor has an error within +/−0.5° C. relative to a reference core body temperature over one or both of a range of ambient temperatures and a range of wind draft conditions.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the distal temperature sensor is situated on the enclosure to establish contact with ear canal tissue at the tragus-side of the ear canal.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the distal temperature sensor is recessed into, or situated within, the enclosure and thermally coupled to ear canal tissue at the tragus-side of the ear canal.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the distal temperature sensor facing the tragus-side of the ear canal is covered with a thermally conductive material.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the distal temperature sensor in contact with or penetrating into the enclosure is surrounded by thermally insulating material.

10. An ear-worn hearable comprising the device of claim 1 .

11. A hearing aid comprising the device of claim 1 .

12. A diagnostic instrument comprising the device of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic instrument comprises:
a hand-graspable handle section;
an instrument head coupled to the handle section and comprising at least the distal temperature sensor;
a display configured to display at least the absolute body core temperature; and
a power source.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the distal temperature sensor is situated within the enclosure and configured to thermally couple to ear canal tissue at the tragus-side of the ear canal.

14. A method implemented by an electronic device configured for insertion into an ear canal of an ear, the ear canal comprising a first bend, a second bend, and a tragus-side, the method comprising:
measuring a first temperature indicative of one or both of conductive heat and convective heat at the tragus-side of the ear canal between the first and second bends;
measuring a second temperature indicative of one or both of conductive heat and convective heat at a location spaced apart from a surface of the ear canal and proximal of an ear canal location where the first temperature is measured in an outer ear direction;
storing, in a memory of the device, a pre-established heat balance equation; and
calculating, using a processor of the device, an absolute core body temperature using the heat balance equation and the first and second temperatures.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first temperature is representative of a temperature of blood supplied to a superficial temporal artery branch of the external carotid artery.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the first temperature is closer to a body core temperature than the second temperature; and
the second temperature is closer to an ambient temperature than the first temperature.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the pre-established heat balance equation characterizes a temperature gradient of the ear for a population of persons over a range of ambient temperatures.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the absolute core body temperature calculated by the processor has an error within +/−0.5° C. relative to a reference core body temperature over one or both of a range of ambient temperatures and a range of wind draft conditions.

19. The method of claim 14 implemented by an ear-worn hearable comprising the electronic device.

20. The method of claim 14 implemented by a hearing aid comprising the electronic device.

21. The method of claim 14 implemented by a hand-held diagnostic instrument comprising the electronic device, the method further comprising displaying at least the absolute body core temperature on a display of the diagnostic instrument.

22. An ear-worn electronic device configured to be worn in an ear of a wearer and to measure temperature from within an ear canal of the ear comprising a first bend and a second bend, the device comprising:
an enclosure configured for insertion into the ear canal and comprising a distal end configured to extend at least beyond the first bend;
a distal temperature sensor situated at a location of the enclosure that faces a tragus-side of the ear canal distal to the first bend and proximal to the second bend when the enclosure is fully inserted into the ear canal, the distal temperature sensor configured to sense one or both of conductive heat and convective heat and to produce a first temperature signal;
a proximal temperature sensor situated on the enclosure at a location in the ear that is spaced apart from a surface of the ear canal and proximal of the distal temperature sensor in an outer ear direction when the enclosure is fully inserted into the ear canal, the proximal temperature sensor configured to sense one or both of conductive heat and convective heat and to produce a second temperature signal;
a memory configured to store a pre-established heat balance equation; and
a processor coupled to the distal and proximal temperature sensors and to the memory, the processor configured to calculate an absolute core body temperature using the heat balance equation and the first and second temperature signals.

23. The device of claim 22 , wherein the ear-worn electronic device is

Assignees

• Starkey Hearing Tech
• Starkey Labs Inc

Inventors

• Cross Peggi S
• Olson Kyle
• Bhunia Sourav
• Rahim Kaysar
• Tourtelotte Dave

Classifications

• A61B5/6817 Primary

  Ear canal · CPC title

• G01K13/20

  Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals · CPC title

• A61B5/72

  Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes · CPC title

• A61B5/01

  Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20) · CPC title

• G01K7/427

  Temperature calculation based on spatial modeling, e.g. spatial inter- or extrapolation · CPC title