Ear Thermometer Probe With Cable Groove For Child Ear Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ear thermometers struggle to easily and reliably fit into the ear canals of children due to their smaller size and shape, making continuous non-contact temperature measurement challenging.
Innovation Solution
A thermometer design featuring a probe with an infrared sensor, a gripping part, and a groove portion to hold the signal cable in a curved state, allowing easy insertion and retention in the ear canal, ensuring stable measurement without dislodgment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the probe is designed to fit adult ear canals with bilateral symmetric curved shapes, then the measurement accuracy for adults is improved, but the probe cannot be easily inserted into the smaller and differently shaped ear canals of children
Solution Approach 1:
The probe is divided into multiple segments including a curved portion, a straight portion, and a grip portion. This segmentation allows the curved portion to adapt to the ear canal shape while the straight portion maintains measurement accuracy, enabling the probe to fit both adult and child ear canals effectively
Solution Approach 2:
The probe incorporates a flexible curved portion that can dynamically adapt to different ear canal shapes and sizes. This dynamic flexibility allows the probe to conform to the specific geometry of either adult or child ear canals while maintaining proper positioning for accurate temperature measurement
2Ease of operation
If the probe is made small to fit children's ear canals, then the ease of insertion is improved, but the probe becomes difficult to grip and position correctly
Solution Approach 1:
The probe incorporates a grip portion that extends outward from the main probe body in a different dimension. This dimensional extension provides a convenient gripping surface for operators while maintaining the compact size of the probe insertion portion, solving the contradiction between small size and ease of gripping
3Ease of manufacture
If the probe is designed with a simple structure for easy manufacturing, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the probe cannot be reliably retained in the ear canal without coming off
Solution Approach 1:
The probe incorporates a curved portion with a specific arc shape that corresponds to the natural curvature of ear canals. This curvature design enables the probe to be retained reliably in the ear canal through geometric interlocking alone, without requiring complex retention mechanisms, thus maintaining manufacturing simplicity while ensuring reliable retention
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy and reliable fitting into children's ear canals for continuous, stable non-contact body temperature measurement, preventing the probe from coming off and accommodating the smaller ear canal shape effectively.
Implementation Method 1
the probe having an infrared sensor for measuring the temperature of an eardrum of an ear of the patient in a non-contact manner
Data Source
AI summary
A thermometer includes a probe to be fitted into an ear of a patient, the probe having an infrared sensor for measuring the temperature of an eardrum of the ear of the patient in a non-contact manner, a signal cable connected to the infrared sensor and drawn out of the probe, a gripping part provided in the probe to be gripped when the probe is inserted inside a tragus of the ear, and a groove portion provided in the gripping part to hold the signal cable in a curved state and to allow a curved portion of the signal cable to fit in and along a cavum conchae of the ear.