Thermometer calibrator and methods of calibrating the same

A computer implemented method for calibrating a thermometer calibrator with an external calibration system, the method comprising:

• inserting a stem of a calibrated thermometer into the receptacle, wherein the calibrated thermometer has been previously calibrated to have an acceptable accuracy, via an external calibration process traceable to a predetermined standard, to at least a first set point temperature of one or more set point temperatures;
• sending a calibrated thermometer signal indicative of a temperature of the stem to the external calibration system from the calibrated thermometer,
• sending a command signal from the external calibration system to the thermometer calibrator to control the temperature of the receptacle at the at least first set point temperature based on set point temperature control data indicative of the one or more set point temperatures stored in a memory of a microprocessor of the thermometer calibrator;
• receiving the command signal by the thermometer calibrator;
• thermally controlling, by the thermometer calibrator, the temperature of the receptacle at the at least first set point temperature based on the set point temperature control data;
• sending feedback status signals from the thermometer calibrator to the external calibration system indicative of the status of the thermally controlled receptacle having reached the at least first set point temperature;
• receiving the feedback status signals by the external calibration system;
• if the calibrated thermometer signal indicates that the temperature of the stem is not within a predetermined tolerance range of the at least first set point temperature, then calculating adjustments to the set point temperature control data by the external calibration system;
• sending control signals from the external calibration system to the thermometer calibrator to adjust the set point temperature control data in accordance with the calculated adjustments;
• receiving the control signals by the thermometer calibrator;
• and
• repeating the steps of thermally controlling, sending feedback status signals, receiving feedback status signals, calculating adjustments, sending control signals and receiving control signals until the calibrated thermometer signal indicates that the temperature of the stem is within the predetermined tolerance range of the at least first set point temperature.

An external calibration system configured to calibrate a thermometer calibrator to control a temperature of a receptacle of the thermometer calibrator at one or more set point temperatures, the external calibration system comprising a computer system, wherein the computer system comprises:

• at least one calibration system memory;
• and
• one or more calibration system processors in communication with the at least one calibration system memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a method, the method comprising:
• receiving a calibrated thermometer signal from a calibrated thermometer indicative of a temperature of a stem of the calibrated thermometer inserted into the receptacle of the thermometer calibrator, wherein the calibrated thermometer has been previously calibrated to have an acceptable accuracy, via an external calibration process traceable to a predetermined standard, to at least a first set point temperature of the one or more set point temperatures,
• sending a command signal to the thermometer calibrator to control the temperature of the receptacle at the at least first set point temperature of the one or more set point temperatures based on set point temperature control data stored in a memory of a microprocessor of the thermometer calibrator,
• receiving feedback status signals from the thermometer calibrator indicative of the status of the thermally controlled receptacle having reached the at least first set point temperature,
• if the calibrated thermometer signal from the calibrated thermometer indicates that the temperature of the stem is not within a predetermined tolerance range of the at least first set point temperature, then calculating adjustments to the set point temperature control data,
• sending control signals from the external calibration system to the thermometer calibrator to adjust the set point temperature control data in accordance with the calculated adjustments, and
• repeating the steps of receiving feedback status signals, calculating adjustments and sending control signals until the calibrated thermometer indicates that the temperature of the stem is within the predetermined tolerance range of the at least first set point.