US 5,516,010 A · Sanitary speculum for tympanic thermometer probe

Abstract

A sanitary protective cover or sheath for the ear canal probe of a tympanic thermometer. The speculum has a generally tubular body portion and an infrared transparent membrane attached to and sealing the forward end of the body portion. While the tubular body portion is being injection molded of plastic material such a polypropylene or polyethylene, a film of a similar plastic material is mated to the forward end of the membrane and is thus severed from the film and one side thereof thermally bonded to the tubular body portion. At the same time a bonding ring of roughly the same diameter as the forward end of the tubular body portion is injection molded. The ring is thermally bonded to the opposite side of the film in alignment with the forward end of the tubular body portion.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A disposable probe cover for a tympanic thermometer that senses infrared radiation in an external ear canal of a patient via an IR sensing probe, the IR sensing probe having a forward end and the thermometer containing an IR sensor spaced from said forward end, the disposable probe cover comprising:

a stretchable thin film membrane made of a material which is substantially transparent to IR radiation over a predetermined range of wavelengths;
and
a body portion having an opening sized for having the IR sensing probe inserted therethrough, the thin film membrane extending across the opening in the body portion in an unstretched condition, the membrane being stretchable to remove structural characteristics in the membrane that would interfere with measurement accuracy when the IR sensing probe is inserted through said opening.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

08/299,814Filed 1 Sep 1994 · continuation

Priority

23 Oct 1984

Granted

14 May 1996

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

G01J 5/04
Constructional details: casings
A61B 1/00142
Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g.…:…
A61B 46/10
Surgical drapes: specially adapted for instruments, e.g. microscopes
G01J 5/02
Radiation pyrometry, e.g. infrared or optical thermometry: constructional details

Family

Serial663,769Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Oct 1984

Serial731,795Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 8 May 1985

US 4,602,642 AParent of this continuation-in-part · filed 29 Jul 1986

Serial45,603Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Apr 1987

US 4,662,360 AParent of this continuation-in-part · filed 5 May 1987

Serial668,949Parent of this division · filed 13 Mar 1991

Serial867,874Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Apr 1992

Serial184,965Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Jan 1994

US 5,293,862 AParent of this continuation · filed 15 Mar 1994

US 5,179,436 AParent of this continuation

US 5,516,010 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Sanitary speculum for tympanic thermometer probe

Life of this patent

Sanitary speculum for tympanic thermometer probe

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10