Device and system for measuring the temperature of a human body part, and method and receiving unit for such a device

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for measuring the temperature of a human body part, in particular a hand and / or a foot, having a receiving unit for the body part and a detection unit, comprising at least one temperature sensor, for determining the temperature, in particular the surface temperature, of at least one region of the body part situated on the receiving unit, the device being characterized in that the receiving unit is releasably mounted, preferably by means of an interlocking and / or frictional connection. The invention further relates to a receiving unit and a method for such a device and to a system having such a device.

Description

[0001] DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT OF A HUMAN BODY PART, AS WELL AS METHOD AND RECORDING DEVICE FOR SUCH A DEVICE

[0002] The invention relates to a device for measuring the temperature of a human body part, in particular a hand and / or a foot, comprising a receiving device for the body part and a detection device having at least one temperature sensor for determining the temperature, in particular the surface temperature, of at least one area of ​​the body part arranged on the receiving device.

[0003] Furthermore, the invention relates to a receiving device for such a device.

[0004] Furthermore, the invention relates to a system for measuring the temperature of a part of the human body.

[0005] Additionally, the invention relates to a method for measuring the temperature of a part of the human body.

[0006] Medical research has already established that temperature measurements of a person's body surface can provide clues to existing illnesses. For example, in a procedure called thermography, the surface temperature of a body area is visualized and evaluated by a doctor to determine whether a pathological change is present.

[0007] In recent years, it has been recognized, for example, that rheumatoid arthritis can be detected in its early stages by recording the physiological warming of a hand over a period of time after a cold challenge. For this purpose, the hand is placed on a table under a thermal imaging camera. The thermal imaging camera is mounted on a tripod and positioned above the hand. If rheumatoid arthritis is present, the existing inflammation in the hand leads to uneven warming, which is ideally visible in the recorded temperature profile. In particular, it can be shown that the inflamed joints warm up faster than the surrounding tissue.

[0008] However, the problem is that the recordings or data obtained with the known arrangement are obviously subject to disturbances, so that the reliability with which a pathological change in the temperature profile can be detected is not sufficiently high.

[0009] The present invention therefore aims to design and further develop a device and a system for measuring the temperature of a human body part in such a way that a reliable and meaningful measurement can be achieved using structurally simple means. Furthermore, a receiving device for such a device and a method for operating such a device are to be specified.

[0010] According to the invention, the aforementioned problem is solved by the features of claim 1. The device in question for measuring the temperature of a human body part, in particular a hand and / or a foot, comprises a receiving device for the body part and a detection device having at least one temperature sensor for determining the temperature, in particular the surface temperature, of at least one area of ​​the body part arranged on the receiving device, characterized in that the receiving device is detachably arranged, preferably by means of a positive and / or force-fit connection.

[0011] With regard to the receiving device, the underlying problem is solved by the features of claim 10. This specifies a receiving device for a device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, in particular with fastening means for detachable, preferably positive and / or force-fit, attachment to the device.

[0012] With regard to the system, the underlying problem is solved by the features of 11. This specifies a system for measuring the temperature of a human body part, comprising a device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and a cooling device for cooling the body part by means of a cooling medium.

[0013] With regard to the method, the underlying problem is solved by the features of claim 15. This claims a method for operating a device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein an identification element of the receiving device is detected and wherein the temperature measurement is enabled when the detected identification data of the identification element has been verified.

[0014] In accordance with the invention, it has been recognized that the temperature of the recording device has a significant influence on the temperature measurement and the temperature profile recorded therein. By detachably connecting the recording device to the apparatus, it can be removed from the apparatus and brought to a predetermined temperature. Ideally, the recording device is then reattached to the apparatus shortly before the measurement, and the temperature measurement of the body part is performed. Thus, the disturbance caused by temperature fluctuations in the recording device is reduced in a surprisingly simple manner.Furthermore, the device according to the invention makes it possible to carry out temperature measurements in a short succession by providing several recording devices, whereby the recording devices not currently in use are brought to a defined temperature, so that after a temperature measurement the recording device can be directly exchanged in order to carry out a subsequent temperature measurement.

[0015] The fastening means of the receiving device can be of any design, provided that sufficiently precise positioning is ensured. In the simplest case, the fastening means can be formed by the shape of the receiving device itself, whereby the part of the device to which the receiving device is attached must be designed accordingly. Advantageously, the receiving device can be positively and / or force-fit connected to, or connectable to, the device.

[0016] The data acquired by the recording device are therefore particularly suitable for evaluation by software, especially based on artificial intelligence, with regard to the presence of a disease, preferably rheumatoid arthritis. Regardless of the method used for evaluation, the data may include not only temperature data but also geometric data, i.e., data concerning the geometric surface characteristics of the body part, particularly the hand or foot.

[0017] With regard to the method according to the invention, it has further been recognized that temperature measurement can be improved by detecting an identification element of the receiving device and only enabling the temperature measurement once the detected identification data of the identification element has been verified. Verification can, for example, include verifying that the identified receiving device has not already been used for a measurement within a predetermined time period. Alternatively or additionally, verification could include verifying that the receiving device was not used for the last temperature measurement performed. Furthermore, it could be verified that the receiving device is suitable for use in the apparatus in the sense of anti-counterfeiting protection. This prevents counterfeit parts from being used with the apparatus.Alternatively or additionally, the verification could include checking whether a maximum number of measurements and / or a maximum service life of the recording device has not yet been reached. If the verification is unsuccessful, it might be necessary to install a different recording device on the apparatus. It is clear to a person skilled in the art that the apparatus must be appropriately configured to carry out the method, for example, it must have a scanning device for the identification element and a control / computing device for verifying the identification data, or at least be operatively connected to such devices by appropriate means. It is conceivable that the scanning device is formed by the recording device.

[0018] It should be noted that the invention is particularly suitable for the detection of rheumatoid arthritis, but is not limited to this use. It is also conceivable to detect other changes or diseases using the data acquired by the detection device, in particular temperature data and / or geometric data.

[0019] Furthermore, the body part in question can be, in particular, a hand and / or a foot. It is conceivable and advantageous if the recording device and the acquisition system are designed in such a way as to enable the determination of the temperature of the hand, including the wrist, or of the foot, including the ankle.

[0020] The receiving device according to the dependent claim 10 can have the features and advantages described in relation to the receiving device of the device according to the invention.

[0021] Advantageously, the receiving device can be designed, at least essentially, in a plate-like shape. This has the advantage that the body part simply needs to be placed or positioned onto the plate-like receiving device, thus simplifying handling. A further advantage is that a plate-like design is simple and therefore inexpensive to manufacture.

[0022] According to an advantageous embodiment, the receiving device can be made of a material with a thermal conductivity of less than 1.0 W / (m K), in particular less than 0.9 W / (m K), preferably less than 0.8 W / (m K). This has the advantage that the receiving device has a negligible influence on the heating of the body part. Specifically, this material can be, for example, glass, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane compact (PUR), polyamide (PI), polyetherimide (PEI), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl chloride, polyamides (nylon, Perlon), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate, epoxy resin (EP), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, Plexiglas), and / or polyethylene (PE). These materials have the advantage of low thermal conductivity and are also easy to clean and disinfect.

[0023] Advantageously, an identification element, preferably an optical code or a transponder, in particular an RFID tag, can be arranged on or in the recording device for identification purposes. This design feature makes it possible, for example, to prevent temperature measurement from being enabled if the recording device was used for the last temperature measurement and / or if insufficient time has elapsed since the last temperature measurement with this recording device. This prevents the unintended multiple use of a recording device. The identification element can be any element, particularly a machine-readable one, such as an optical code like a barcode or QR code, or a transponder.Regardless of the design of the identification element, its content can be, for example, a sequence of numbers and / or letters that identifies the receiving device.

[0024] In a particularly advantageous manner, at least one marking element, preferably a thermal marking element, for example a Peltier element and / or a light-emitting diode and / or an electrical heating resistor, and / or an optical marking element, can be arranged on or in the receiving device. The marking element makes it possible to position the body part on or in the receiving device in a nearly identical position relative to the marking element. For this purpose, a corresponding optical marker could be arranged on the receiving device, for example, the outline of the body part. Alternatively or additionally, it can be a thermal marking element that can be detected by the detection device. A further advantage of the marking element is that it allows verification of whether the receiving device is correctly positioned on the apparatus.

[0025] According to an advantageous embodiment, a flow protection device can be arranged to block airflows at the body part located on the receiving device. This design prevents airflows or convection from influencing the heating of the body part and thus distorting the temperature measurement. Additionally, it is conceivable to arrange the flow protection device at least around a portion of the receiving device. This offers the advantage of positioning the flow protection device close to the body part, thereby improving its protective effect. Alternatively or additionally, the flow protection device can be made, at least in part, of a material that is at least substantially transparent and / or at least in part of a material that is at least substantially opaque.A transparent material has the advantage that the body part is visible through the flow protection device, allowing, for example, verification of correct positioning. A material that is at least largely opaque has the advantage of shielding the body part from sunlight, which could affect its heating.

[0026] Advantageously, a separate, and in particular removable, operating unit for the device can be arranged. This enables particularly easy handling of the device.

[0027] According to an advantageous embodiment, the temperature sensor can be a thermal imaging camera. Images captured with a thermal imaging camera are particularly well-suited for evaluation with regard to the presence of a disease, especially rheumatoid arthritis. It is also conceivable that the temperature sensor is a pyroelectric sensor. This has the advantage that temperatures can be measured with pinpoint accuracy. Alternatively or additionally, the detection device can include at least one camera, in particular an RGB camera.

[0028] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the cooling device can have a basin in which the cooling medium is contained. Such an embodiment is particularly suitable when using a liquid cooling medium. It is conceivable that the basin is insulated, for example as a Dewar flask, and / or has at least one active cooling element, for example a Peltier element.

[0029] Advantageously, the cooling device can include a measuring unit for recording the temperature of the cooling medium. This makes it possible to cool the body part with a cooling medium at a defined temperature, thus improving the repeatability of the measurement.

[0030] A further advantage is the inclusion of a display device for the measured temperature. This allows the user to monitor that the cooling medium is at the correct temperature. Alternatively or additionally, a storage device can be included to record the measured temperatures at different times. This has the advantage of providing temperature documentation, which allows measurements to be verified retrospectively.

[0031] According to an advantageous embodiment, the cooling device can have a control loop to regulate the temperature of the cooling medium based on its measured temperature. This design ensures that the cooling medium always maintains the desired temperature.

[0032] Advantageously, the detection device may include at least one surface-detecting sensor, such as a lidar sensor. Such a design feature has the advantage of allowing the surface geometry of the body part to be detected, so that, for example, the intensity of swelling, such as in a finger, can be determined. Advantageously, the detection device may include at least one detection unit with a thermal imaging camera and an associated camera. Positioning a conventional camera, such as an RGB camera, directly next to the thermal imaging camera has the advantage that the labeling function of the thermographic data can be automated or optimized. Specifically, this allows for automatic finger joint annotation of the temperature data. This enables the camera to...The RGB camera's ability to detect wrinkles is evident in the image data, for example, in the dorsal view (back of the hand), where the skin folds over the joints are visible, and in the ventral view (inner view), where the creases under the joints are visible. These wrinkles cannot be depicted by data captured by a thermal imaging camera. It is also conceivable that the thermal imaging camera and its associated camera form a single, integrated unit, meaning they are designed as one piece or combined.

[0033] Furthermore, it is conceivable that a computing device, such as a computer, is arranged to process the measured values ​​acquired by the acquisition device. The computing device can serve to control or operate the individual components of the device (acquisition device and / or cooling device and / or scanning device, etc.). The evaluation of the measured values ​​can take place directly within the computing device. It is also conceivable that the computing device transmits at least some of the acquired data, in particular temperature data and / or geometry data, or data pre-processed by it, to another computing device, e.g., a cloud, where some or all of the evaluation of the data, in particular temperature data and / or geometry data, takes place. The computing device can be configured to evaluate the acquired data, in particular temperature data and / or geometry data, using statistical methods.According to an advantageous embodiment, the computing device is conceivable to be trained to evaluate the recorded data, particularly temperature and / or geometry data, using artificial intelligence for pattern recognition. It is also possible for the computing device to be trained to feed the recorded data, particularly temperature and / or geometry data, into a learning and continuously improving pattern recognition system for diagnostic precision and to evaluate it using this system. To evaluate a precise prediction, a tailored algorithm can be validated that assesses the collected data sets from the test subjects and aims to increase precision and character delimitation through self-learning. The development of a conceptual model based on real training data can be carried out according to established models.Geometric datasets in conjunction with the data of the respective measurements of the body part recorded by the acquisition device could be interpreted two-dimensionally and in context, even across datasets, and evaluated methodically.

[0034] There are now various ways to advantageously elaborate and further develop the teaching of the present invention. For this purpose, reference should be made, on the one hand, to the claims subordinate to claims 1 and 11, and on the other hand, to the following explanation of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawing. In conjunction with the explanation of the preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawing, generally preferred embodiments and further developments of the teaching are also explained. The drawing shows

[0035] Fig. 1 shows a schematic exploded view of a device according to the invention comprising a receiving device according to the invention.

[0036] Fig. 2 shows a schematic isometric view of the device according to Fig. 1.

[0037] Fig. 3 shows a schematic front view of the device according to Fig. 1.

[0038] Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of a sectional view of the device according to Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a block diagram of a method according to the invention.

[0039] Figures 1 to 4 show an embodiment of a device according to the invention. This device has a receiving device 1 onto which the body part can be placed. Above the receiving device 1 is the sensing device 2, which has at least one temperature sensor 3. In this embodiment, the sensing device 2 is designed as a cylinder 4. By rotating the cylinder 4, the distance between the sensing device 2 and the receiving device 1 can be changed by means of the thread 11. A scale 12 can be provided to read the distance.

[0040] The receiving device 1 is plate-shaped and can be removed from the apparatus. This makes it possible to replace the receiving device 1 with a "new" receiving device 1 after each temperature measurement, which has a defined initial temperature. This significantly improves the measurement result. Advantageously, the receiving device 1 can be made of a material with a thermal conductivity of less than 1.0 W / (m K), in particular less than 0.9 W / (m K), preferably less than 0.8 W / (m K).

[0041] In this embodiment, the receiving device 1 engages the fixture with its edges 5, thus creating a releasable connection. The edges 5 therefore serve as fastening means 6. Any other configuration of the fastening means 6 is conceivable, provided that they ensure at least substantially precise positioning of the receiving device 1.

[0042] Furthermore, an identification element 7 is formed on the receiving device 1. This serves to identify the receiving device 1, for example, to prevent it from being used repeatedly. The receiving device 1 also has a marking element 8, which in the embodiment shown here is depicted as the outline of a hand, i.e., as an optical marking element. However, other configurations of the marking element 8 are conceivable, for example, a thermal marking element, in particular a Peltier element and / or a light-emitting diode and / or an electrical heating resistor.

[0043] To protect the area of ​​the receiving device 1 from convection, a flow protection device 9 is arranged, which has three elements 10, 10', 10".

[0044] The device also includes a control unit 13, which is designed to be detachable from the device, although this is not mandatory. The control unit 13 can be slid onto or removed from the mounting arms 14.

[0045] If, in addition to the device, a cooling device not shown in the figures is provided, a system for temperature measurement according to the invention is realized.

[0046] Fig. 5 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of a method according to the invention. In a first step S1, the identification element of the receiving device arranged in the apparatus is detected, for example, by means of a suitable scanning device. The identification data detected in this way is verified in a second step S2. The verification can, for example, include verifying that the identified receiving device has not already been used for a measurement within a predetermined time period. Alternatively or additionally, the verification could include verifying that the receiving device was not used for the last temperature measurement performed. If the identification data has been verified, the temperature measurement is enabled in a step S3 and can thus be carried out.If the verification is unsuccessful, the temperature measurement will not be enabled and another recording device must be inserted. Regarding further advantageous embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the general part of the description and to the appended claims to avoid repetition.

[0047] Finally, it should be expressly pointed out that the exemplary embodiments of the teaching described above serve only to discuss the claimed teaching, but do not limit it to these exemplary embodiments.

[0048] Reference symbol list

[0049] Reception facility

[0050] Recording device

[0051] temperature sensor

[0052] cylinder

[0053] edge

[0054] Fasteners

[0055] Identification element

[0056] Marking element

[0057] Flow protection device, 10', 10” Element 1 thread

[0058] scale

[0059] Control unit

[0060] Pickup arms

Claims

Claims 1. Device for measuring the temperature of a human body part, in particular a hand and / or a foot, comprising a receiving device for the body part and a detection device having at least one temperature sensor for determining the temperature, in particular the surface temperature, of at least one area of ​​the body part arranged on the receiving device, characterized in that the receiving device is detachably arranged, preferably by positive and / or force locking.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiving device is designed at least substantially in the shape of a plate.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the receiving device comprises a material with a thermal conductivity of less than 1.0 W / (m K), in particular less than 0.9 W / (m K), preferably less than 0.8 W / (m K), for example glass, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane compact (PUR), polyamide (PI), polyetherimide (PEI), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl chloride, polyamides (nylon, Perlon), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate, epoxy resin (EP), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, Plexiglas) and / or polyethylene (PE).

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that an identification element, preferably an optical code or a transponder, in particular an RFID tag, is arranged on or in the receiving device for the identification of the receiving device.

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one marking element, preferably a thermal marking element, for example a Peltier element and / or a light-emitting diode and / or an electrical heating resistor, and / or an optical marking element, is arranged on or in the receiving device.

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a flow protection device is arranged to block air currents at the body part arranged on the receiving device.

7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the flow protection device is arranged at least around a region of the receiving device.

8. Device according to 6 or 7, characterized in that the flow protection device is formed at least partially from a material that is at least substantially transparent and / or that the flow protection device is formed at least partially from a material that is at least substantially opaque.

9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a separate, in particular removable, operating unit for operating the device is arranged from a base body of the device.

10. Receiving device for a device according to one of claims 1 to 9, in particular with fastening means for detachable, preferably form-fit and / or force-fit, attachment to the device.

11. System for measuring the temperature of a human body part comprising a device according to one of claims 1 to 9 and a cooling device for cooling the body part by means of a cooling medium.

12. System according to claim 11, characterized in that the cooling device has a measuring unit for detecting the temperature of the cooling medium.

13. System according to claim 12, characterized in that a display device for the detected temperature is arranged and / or that a A storage device is arranged to store the recorded temperatures at different times.

14. System according to one of claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the cooling device has a control loop to regulate the temperature of the to regulate the cooling medium based on the measured temperature of the cooling medium.

15. Method for operating a device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein an identification element of the receiving device is detected and wherein the temperature measurement is enabled when the detected identification data of the identification element has been verified.

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