Temperature measurement device and temperature measurement method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12196622-B2
Application number	US-202017437246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2020
Priority date	Apr 19, 2019
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A temperature measurement device includes a first probe that measures a physical quantity related to a temperature of a substance on the basis of a first reference, a second probe that measures a physical quantity related to a temperature of the substance on the basis of a second reference different from the first reference, and a heat conductive member that covers the first probe and the second probe and transports heat from the substance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A temperature measurement device comprising:
a first probe configured to measure a physical quantity related to a first temperature of a substance based on a first reference, wherein the first probe is configured to physically contact the substance;
a second probe configured to measure a physical quantity related to a second temperature of the substance based on a second reference different from the first reference, wherein the second probe is configured to physically contact the substance; and
a heat conductive member covers the first probe and the second probe, wherein the heat conductive member physically contacts and extends continuously from a sidewall of the first probe to a sidewall of the second probe, and wherein the heat conductive member is configured to thermally conduct heat from the substance.

2. The temperature measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first probe comes into contact with a surface of a living body to measure a physical quantity related to a first temperature of the living body,
the second probe has a thermal resistance different from a thermal resistance of the first probe and comes into contact with the surface of the living body to measure a physical quantity related to a second temperature of the living body, and
the heat conductive member thermally conducts heat transferred from the surface of the living body.

3. The temperature measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein the heat conductive member comprises a material having a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of air.

4. The temperature measurement device according to claim 3 , wherein the heat conductive member comprises a metal material.

5. The temperature measurement device according to claim 4 , wherein the heat conductive member comprises aluminum or copper.

6. The temperature measurement device according to claim 3 , wherein the heat conductive member comprises graphene.

7. The temperature measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first probe comprises:
a first thermal resistor;
a first temperature measurement device connected to the first thermal resistor and configured to measure the first temperature of the substance; and
a first heat flux measurement device connected to the first thermal resistor and configured to measure a first heat flux; and

the second probe includes:
a second thermal resistor having a thermal resistance different from a thermal resistance of the first thermal resistor;
a second temperature measurement device connected to the second thermal resistor and configured to measure the second temperature of the substance; and
a second heat flux measurement device connected to the second thermal resistor and configured to measure a second heat flux.

8. A temperature measurement method comprising:
calculating, using a first bridge circuit including a thermal resistance of a substance and a thermal resistance of a first probe, a first temperature of a substance physically contacting and measured by the first probe;
calculating, using a second bridge circuit including the thermal resistance of the substance and a thermal resistance of a second probe, a second temperature of the substance physically contacting and measured by the second probe, wherein a heat conductive member covers the first probe and the second probe, wherein the heat conductive member physically contacts and extends continuously from a sidewall of the first probe to a sidewall of the second probe, and wherein the heat conductive member is configured to thermally conduct heat from the substance; and
estimating a temperature of a deep area of the substance based on the first temperature and the second temperature.

9. The temperature measurement method according to claim 8 , wherein the thermal resistance of the second probe is different from a thermal resistance of the first probe.

10. The temperature measurement method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
contacting, with the first probe, a surface of a living body to measure a physical quantity related to the first temperature, wherein the first temperature is of the living body;
contacting, with the second probe, the surface of the living body to measure a physical quantity related to the second temperature, wherein the second temperature is of the living body; and
the heat conductive member thermally conducts heat transferred from the surface of the living body.

11. The temperature measurement method according to claim 8 , wherein the heat conductive member comprises a material having a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of air.

12. The temperature measurement method according to claim 11 , wherein the heat conductive member comprises a metal material.

13. The temperature measurement method according to claim 12 , wherein the heat conductive member comprises aluminum or copper.

14. The temperature measurement method according to claim 11 , wherein the heat conductive member comprises graphene.

Assignees

• Nippon Telegraph & Telephone

Inventors

• Matsunaga Daichi
• Tanaka Yujiro
• Seyama Michiko

Classifications

• G01K1/16

  Special arrangements for conducting heat from the object to the sensitive element · CPC title

• G01K7/427

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

• G01K13/20 Primary

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