Patent ID: 8517602

Claim:
A method of using a temperature sensor to determine the temperature of an object, comprising the steps of: (i) determining a start temperature, said start temperature being the temperature of the temperature sensor prior to thermal contact being established with the object; (ii) bringing the temperature sensor into thermal contact with the object to be measured; (iii) using the temperature sensor to acquire a plurality of temperature readings, said plurality of temperature readings being acquired prior to the temperature sensor reaching thermal equilibrium with the object; (iv) using at least some of the plurality of temperature readings of step (iii) to determine a pseudo-stable temperature at which the rate of change of temperature readings with time is less than a predetermined rate; and (v) determining a difference in temperature between the pseudo-stable temperature of step (iv) and the start temperature of step (i) and using said difference in temperature to predict the temperature of the object.