Clinical thermometer with thermo-couple probe

Claim 2

An electrical clinical thermometer comprising display means for indicating a sensed temperature, a temperature sensing probe, and a releasable connector means for connecting said probe to said display means, said probe including an elongated support body, non-self-supporting thin thermo-couple wires extending along and supported by said body from said connector means and terminating in a thermo-couple junction adjacent to the end of said body, said junction being formed between ends of said wires which are bared and which are suspended in spaced relation to the material of said body to be exposed for direct contact with the tissue of a patient, said junction being in a gap free of contact with any solid material.

Claim 3

An electrical clinical thermometer as defined in claim 1, said body being a hollow thin walled cylinder.

Claim 4

An electrical clinical thermometer as defined in claim 1, said body being composed of a foam material with non-interconnected cavities.

Claim 5

An electrical clinical thermometer as defined in claim 1, said body being spatulate.

Claim 6

An electrical clinical thermometer as defined in claim 1, said connector means having contacts of the same material as said wires, and means for orienting said wires and contacts for coengagement of like wires and materials.

Claim 7

An electrical clinical thermometer as defined in claim 1; said body being a hollow plastic cylinder having said wires embedded therein said cylinder having spaced prongs containing said wires extending beyond the end of said cylinder, with said wires bridging said prongs to form said junction.

Claim 8

An electrical clinical thermometer as defined in claim 6, said prongs being small segments of said cylinder.

Claim 9

An electrical clinical thermometer comprising display means for indicating a sensed temperature, a temperature sensing probe, and a releasable connector means for connecting said probe to said display means, said probe including an elongated support body, non-self-supporting thin thermo-couple wires extending along and supported by said body from said connector means and terminating in a thermo-couple junction adjacent to the end of said body and suspended in spaced relation to the material of said body to be exposed for direct contact with the tissue of a patient, said connector means having contacts of the same material as said wires and providing radially spaced circumferentially continuous contact surfaces, said wires being spaced for engagement with said surfaces.

Claim 10

An electrical clinical thermometer comprising display means for indicating a sensed temperature, a temperature sensing probe, and a releasable connector means for connecting said probe to said display means, said probe including an elongated support body, non-self-supporting thin thermo-couple wires extending along and supported by said body from said connector means and terminating in a thermo-couple junction adjacent to the end of said body and suspended in spaced relation to the material of said body to be exposed for direct contact with the tissue of a patient, said connector means having contacts of the same material as said wires and providing radially spaced circumferentially continuous contact surfaces, said wires being spaced for engagement with said surfaces.

Claim 11

An electrical clinical thermometer as defined in claim 8, said wires having free ends projecting from said body in laterally spaced relation.

Claim 12

An electrical clinical thermometer as defined in claim 8, said body being tubular and supporting one of said wires at its inner periphery and the other of said wires at its outer periphery, with the free ends of said wires bared.

Claim 13

An electrical clinical thermometer as defined in claim 8, said body being tubular and supporting said wires at opposite sides thereof with the free ends of said wires bared and turned back on said body disposing one wire end internally and the other wire end externally of said body.

Claim 14

A probe for an electrical clinical thermometer comprising: an elongated support body, non-self-supporting thin thermo-couple wires extending along said body and supported thereby and connectible at one end to the temperature display means, said wires terminating at the other end in a thermo-couple junction adjacent to said other end of said body, said junction being formed between ends of said wires which are bared and which are suspended in spaced relation to the material of said body to be exposed for direct contact with the tissue of the patient, said junction being in a gap free of contact with any solid material.

Claim 15

A probe for an electrical clinical thermometer comprising: an elongated support body, non-self-supporting thin thermo-couple wires extending along said body and supported thereby and connectible at one end to the temperature display means, said wires terminating at the other end in a thermo-couple junction adjacent to said other end of said body, said junction being formed between ends of said wires which are bared and which are suspended in spaced relation to the material of said body to be exposed for direct contact with the tissue of the patient, said junction being in a gap free of contact with any solid material.

Claim 16

A probe as defined in claim 12, wherein said body is a thin walled hollow tube of plastic material containing said wires.

Claim 17

A probe as defined in claim 12, wherein said body is a foamed material containing said wires.

Claim 18

A probe as defined in claim 12, wherein said body is a foamed material containing said wires, said foamed material having non-connecting cavities.

Claim 19

A probe as defined in claim 12, wherein said body is spatulate, said wires extending along said edges of said body, said body having spaced portions at said other end, said junction being between said spaced portions.

Claim 20

A probe as defined in claim 12, wherein said body is spatulate, said wires extending along side edges of said body, said body having spaced portions at said other end, said junction being between said spaced portions, said body being of plastic and containing said wires in said side edges.

Claim 21

A probe as defined in claim 12, said one end of said body having means for orienting said body and wires in relation to a connector for a display device.

Claim 22

A probe as defined in claim 12, said body being a hollow tube containing said wires on opposite sides thereof with said wires bared at said one end, one wire at the outer periphery and the other wire at the inner periphery of said body.

Claim 23

A probe as defined in claim 19, said bared wires being coterminous with said one end of said body.

Claim 24

A probe as defined in claim 19, said bared wires being turned back internally and externally at said one end of said body.

Claim 25

A probe as defined in claim 12; said body being a hollow plastic cylinder having said wires embedded therein said cylinder having spaced prongs containing said wires extending beyond the end of said cylinder, with said wires bridging said prongs to form said junction.

Claim 26

A probe as defined in claim 22; said prongs being small segments of said cylinder.