Physiologic Tunnel Sensor for Brain Temperature Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring biologic parameters, particularly brain temperature and core temperature, are invasive, painful, costly, and prone to errors due to interference from adipose tissue and background noise, making continuous and accurate monitoring challenging.
Innovation Solution
The development of a non-invasive apparatus and method utilizing a physiologic tunnel, specifically the Brain Temperature Tunnel (BTT), which positions sensors on the skin at the end of the tunnel to access undisturbed physiologic signals, bypassing interfering constituents and allowing direct heat transfer from the brain, enabling precise measurement of brain temperature and other biological parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If sensors are placed on the skin to measure brain temperature, then the measurement is non-invasive and convenient, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to interference from adipose tissue and background noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a physiologic tunnel as an intermediary pathway that connects the brain interior to the skin surface. This tunnel allows thermal energy to transfer directly from the brain to the sensor without passing through interfering adipose tissue layers, thus maintaining measurement precision while keeping the sensor non-invasively positioned on the skin.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the interfering element (adipose tissue) from the measurement pathway by utilizing a physiologic tunnel that provides a direct route from the brain to the skin surface, bypassing the fat layers that would otherwise absorb and scatter thermal energy, thereby eliminating the source of measurement error.
2Measurement precision
If invasive techniques are used to measure core temperature, then measurement precision improves, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to pain, risk, and complexity of the procedure
Solution Approach 1:
The physiologic tunnel serves as a natural intermediary pathway that allows the sensor to access core body temperature without direct invasion into the body cavity. The tunnel provides a direct thermal pathway from the brain to the skin surface, enabling accurate core temperature measurement while keeping the sensor externally positioned, thus eliminating the need for painful invasive procedures.
3Device complexity
If sensors are positioned to measure through adipose tissue, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of measurement deteriorates due to signal interference and background noise
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the interfering adipose tissue from the measurement pathway by utilizing a physiologic tunnel that provides a direct route from the brain to the skin surface. This eliminates the source of signal interference and background noise, ensuring reliable measurements while maintaining simple sensor placement on the skin surface without requiring complex signal processing to compensate for tissue interference.
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 continuous, precise, and clinically useful measurement of brain temperature and other biological parameters without interference, providing a safe, painless, and convenient method for monitoring vital signs, enhancing life preservation and human performance.
Implementation Method 1
Body temperature is determined by the temperature of blood, which emits heat as far-infrared radiation.
Data Source
AI summary
Support structures for positioning sensors on a physiologic tunnel for measuring physical, chemical and biological parameters of the body and to produce an action according to the measured value of the parameters. The support structure includes a sensor fitted on the support structures using a special geometry for acquiring continuous and undisturbed data on the physiology of the body. Signals are transmitted to a remote station by wireless transmission such as by electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared, sound and the like or by being reported locally by audio or visual transmission. The physical and chemical parameters include brain function, metabolic function, hydrodynamic function, hydration status, levels of chemical compounds in the blood, and the like. The support structure includes patches, clips, eyeglasses, head mounted gear and the like, containing passive or active sensors positioned at the end of the tunnel with sensing systems positioned on and accessing a physiologic tunnel.