Patent ID: 9410854
Filing Date: 2016-08-09
CPC Classification: A61B,G01K

Claim Text:
1. A physiological sensor device for measuring core body temperature of a subject, the physiological sensor device comprising: a plurality of electronic temperature sensors wherein each electronic temperature sensor includes a first conductive body arranged to be placed in thermal contact with a surface having a surface temperature approximate the core body temperature of the subject and a second conductive body spaced apart from the first conductive body and the surface by a dielectric disposed between the first and second conductive bodies, a first temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the first conductive body, a second temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the second conductive body, actuators configured to control separation of the spaced-apart first and second conductive bodies, a capacitance meter configured to measure mutual capacitance of the spaced-apart first and second conductive bodies with the dielectric disposed between the first and second conductive bodies; and a readout controller comprising a microchip configured to, for each electronic temperature sensor: receive measurements of the respective temperatures of the spaced-apart first and second conductive bodies from the first and second temperature sensors and measurement of a mutual capacitance of the spaced apart first and second conductive bodies from the capacitance meter for a plurality of different separations of the spaced-apart first and second conductive bodies controlled using the actuators, estimate a skin temperature drop based on received measurements of the respective temperatures of the spaced-apart first and second conductive bodies and of the mutual capacitance at the different separations of the spaced-apart first and second conductive bodies, and correct the received temperature of the first conductive body for the estimated skin temperature drop to generate a temperature reading from the electronic temperature sensor, wherein the readout controller is further configured to output a core body temperature based on a highest usable temperature reading of the acquired temperature readings.