Non-contact medical thermometer with distance sensing and compensation

A method of determining a compensated temperature value, comprising:

• holding an IR thermometer adjacent to a target area of a body, the thermometer including a memory containing predetermined compensation information relating to at least one predetermined distance between the IR thermometer and the target area of the body, and at least one predetermined temperature of the target area of the body;
• and
• activating the IR thermometer to:
• measure a distance between the IR thermometer and the target area of the body;
• measure a temperature of the target area of the body;
• and
• determine a compensated temperature value which takes into account and varies based on the distance of the thermometer from the target area of the body in the determination of the compensated temperature value by using the predetermined compensation information, the distance measurement, and the target-temperature measurement.

A non-contact medical thermometer, comprising:

• an IR sensor assembly including an IR sensor capable of sensing IR radiation from a user's forehead;
• a distance sensor configured to determine a distance of the thermometer from the user's forehead;
• a memory component operatively coupled at least to the IR sensor assembly and the distance sensor, and containing at least one predetermined offset value that relates clinically predetermined temperatures to forehead temperature values at predetermined distances from the forehead and a temperature of the ambient environment or the thermometer;
• and
• a microprocessor operatively coupled to at least the memory component, and configured to determine a compensated forehead temperature value which takes into account and varies based on the distance of the thermometer from the user's forehead in the determination of the compensated temperature value by using the IR radiation from the user's forehead, the distance of the thermometer from the user's forehead, and the predetermined offset value.