Zero-heat-flux, deep tissue temperature measurement system

A zero-heat-flux temperature measurement system, comprising:

• a measurement probe with a heater, a first thermal sensor operative to sense a first temperature, a second thermal sensor operative to sense a second temperature, and a connector;
• a processing unit comprising an thermistor emulator and an emulator output jack;
• a probe signal interface cable configured to be electrically connected to the measurement probe and the processing unit;
• and,
• a heater switch operative to switch a heater drive signal through the probe signal interface cable to the heater,
• wherein the thermistor emulator operative to provide an emulator output signal at the emulator output jack.

A combination for measuring deep tissue temperature, comprising:

• a temperature probe with first and second flexible substrates sandwiching a thermally insulating material, a heater, a first thermal sensor disposed on the first substrate layer, and a second thermal sensor disposed on the second substrate layer;
• a programmable memory device;
• a controller electrically coupled to the programmable memory device and configured to be in communication with the temperature probe, the controller configured to read calibration information of the first and second thermal sensors from the programmable memory device and receive first and second temperature signals from the first and second thermal sensors,
• wherein the zero-heat-flux controller is further configured to:
• generate first and second temperature values based on the first and second temperature signals and the calibration information;
• generate a pulse-width-modulated heater drive signal based on the first and second temperature values;
• and
• apply the heater drive signal to the heater.