WO2000000004B1

WO2000000004B1 - Liquid crystal thermometer

Info

Publication number: WO2000000004B1
Application number: PCT/US1999/014511
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert J Witonsky; John W Scarantino
Original assignee: Medical Indicators Inc
Priority date: 1998-06-26
Filing date: 1999-06-25
Publication date: 2000-03-16
Also published as: EP1089654A1; WO2000000004A1; EP1089654A4; US6257759B1; JP2002527720A; AU4722299A; CN1314994A

Abstract

A self-updating temperature thermometer is disclosed that is capable of generating a real-time signal of core body temperature. The thermometer comprises a double-sided flexible substrate (1), having a first side (7) and a second side (8). The first side (7) has a plurality of cavities (2), and a liquid crystal composition (3) in these cavities to define a plurality of sensor dots. A cover layer (4) is disposed on the first side (7), and a pressure-sensitive adhesive (10) is disposed on the second side (8) of the substrate (1). The ratio of sensor surface area to substrate thickness is maximized using the structural features of this invention, thereby providing a thermometer exhibiting unexpectedly good results in that it is capable of generating a continuous temperature measurement that is automatically updated with changes in body temperature.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 21 December 1999 (21.12.99); original claims 1, 10 amended; remaining claims unchanged (4 pages)]

1. An liquid crystal thermometer adapted for clinical applications in

measuring the body temperature of a patient continuously, even as body temperature

is decreasing, the thermometer comprising:

a double-sided flexible substrate having a thickness, a first side, and a

second side, the first side having at least one cavity formed therein;

a liquid crystal composition disposed in the at least one cavity and

occupying at least about 50% of the volume of the cavity, wherein the liquid crystal

composition generates a first colored state at ambient temperature and a second

colored state at a temperature of a site on the patient's body to be measured;

a cover layer sealed on the first side to form an enclosure containing

the liquid crystal composition in the at least one cavity to define at least one sensor

dot,

wherein the sensor dot has a surface area that is sufficiently large in

relation to the thickness of the substrate that when the second side of the substrate is

applied to the site, the at least one sensor dot continuously and automatically

responds to changes in temperature at the site independently of whether temperature

is increasing or decreasing.

2. The thermometer of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure-sensitive

adhesive disposed on the second side of the substrate.

3. The thermometer of claim 1, in which the at least one cavity has a

diameter, and the diameter of the cavity is about five times the thickness of the

substrate.

26

4. The thermometer of claim 3, in which the substrate has a thickness of

about 0.25 mm or less and the at least one cavity has a diameter of at least about

1.25 mm.

5. The thermometer of claim 1 , in which the cavity has a depth which is

about seventy-percent the thickness of the substrate.

6. The thermometer of claim 5, in which the cavity has a depth of about

0.17 mm or greater and the substrate has a thickness of about 0.25 mm or less.

7. The thermometer of claim 1, in which the first side of the substrate

has a plurality of cavities disposed therein and arranged in a matrix, the liquid

crystal composition is disposed in each one of the plurality of cavities, and the cover

layer is sealed over each one of the plurality of cavities to define a plurality of sensor

dots arranged in a matrix.

8. The thermometer of claim 2, further comprising a layer of

polypropylene applied overlying the layer of pressure sensitive adhesive.

9. The thermometer of claim 8, further comprising double-sided medical

tape applied overlying the layer of polypropylene and a medical release liner applied

to the medical tape.

10. A liquid crystal thermometer adapted for clinical applications in

is decreasing,, the thermometer comprising;

a double-sided flexible substrate having a thickness, first sided, and a

second side, the first side having a plurality of cavities formed therein and arranged

in a matrix;

27 a plurality of liquid crystal compositions, with one of the plurality of

liquid crystal compositions being disposed in each one of the plurality of cavities

and occupying at least about 50% of the volume of each one of the plurality of

cavities, wherein each one of the liquid crystal compositions generates a first colored

state at ambient temperature and a second colored state at a temperature to be

measured;

a cover layer sealed on the first side to form an enclosure containing

the plurality of liquid crystal compositions in the plurality of cavities to define a

plurality of sensor dots; and

a pressure-sensitive adhesive disposed on the second side of the

substrate;

wherein the substrate has a thickness that is sufficiently small that the

second side of the substrate will adhere to an area of the patient's body representing

the core body temperature and the plurality of sensor dots each has a surface area

that is sufficiently large in relation to the thickness of the substrate that one or more

of the plurality of sensor dots will continuously and automatically respond to

changes in temperature in the body of the patient so that a continuous measurement

of the core body temperature may be made whether temperature is increasing or

decreasing.

11. The thermometer of claim 10, in which the area comprises the

patient's axilla and the substrate is adapted to be maintained thereon for a period of

up to forty-eight hours.

28

12. The thermometer of claim 11 , in which the substrate has a thickness

that is about twenty-percent or less the diameter of each one of the plurality of

cavities, and the depth of each one of the plurality of cavities is about seventy-

percent or more the thickness of the substrate.

13. The thermometer of claim 12, in which (a) the substrate has a

thickness of about 0.25 mm and (b) each one of the plurality of cavities has depth of

about 0.17 to 0.18 mm and a diameter of about 1.2 to 1.3 mm.

14. The thermometer of claim 10, in which the plurality of cavities

provide temperature measurements in the range of 35.0 to 41.9 degrees Celsius with

a resolution to 0.1 degrees C.

15. The thermometer of claim 10, in which the plurality of cavities

provide temperature measurements in the range of 94.0 to 104.8 degrees Fahrenheit

with a resolution of 0.2 degrees F.

16. A method for continuously measuring the body temperature of a

patient, the method comprising;

providing the thermometer of claim 1 ;

applying the thermometer to a body area having a fixed relationship

to the core temperature of the patient;

leaving the thermometer in place on the body area for a period of up

to forty-eight hours;

monitoring the temperature of the patient by observing the response

of the at least one sensor dot to changes in temperature at the body area.

17. The method of claiml 6 in which the body area comprises the axilla..

29 STATEMENT UNDER ARTICLE 19(1)

In response to the International Search Report mailed October 27, 1999, each

one of the cited references has been reviewed, and the claims have been amended to

more clearly specify the continuously responsive operation of the inventive

thermometer.

Sharpless shows a composition of material used in the inventive

thermometer, and Thackston shows a package for that material for use in a

thermometer. Maruyama shows a temperature indicating device which is

specifically designed to read a peak temperature. None of the references show a

thermometer which continuously responds to a change in temperature.

The invention as claimed discloses a thermometer which, due to its

construction, is suitable for use in a clinical setting to continuously monitor the body

temperature of a patient as it rises or falls.

30