Patent ID: 6435711
Filing Date: 2002-08-20
Classification: G01J

Abstract:
An ear thermometer comprising:a detector head housing; a heat sink disposed in the detector head housing; a thermopile detector mounted within the detector head housing, the thermopile detector having a hot junction and a cold junction, wherein the cold junction is in thermal communication with the heat sink; a thermistor mounted in thermal communication with the cold junction; a thermally conductive sleeve surrounding the thermopile detector and defining a first aperture that limits the field of view of the hot junction; a sleeve-shaped heat pipe made of a thermally conductive material connected in thermal communication with the heat sink, the heat pipe surrounding and shielding the thermally conductive sleeve, the heat pipe defining a second aperture that is outside the field of view of the hot junction as limited by the first aperture; and temperature determination circuitry configured to calculate a temperature in response to output of the thermopile sensor and the thermistor.