Abstract: A sanitary protective cover or sheath for the ear canal probe of a tympanic thermometer. The speculum has a generally tubular body portion and an infrared transparent membrane attached to and sealing the forward end of the body portion. While the tubular body portion is being injection molded of plastic material such as polypropylene or polyethylene, a film of a similar plastic materil is mated to the forward end of the membrane and is thus severed from the film and one side thereof thermally bonded to the tubular body portion. At the same time a bonding ring of roughly the same diameter as the forward end of the tubular body portion is injection molded. The ring is thermally bonded to the opposite side of the film in alignment with the forward end of the tubular body portion.

Abstract: A hand held probe unit has an infrared sensitive thermopile mounted in a metal housing kept at a constant reference temperature by a regulator circuit. A waveguide tube, surrounded by a thermally insulative probe, directs infrared emissions to the thermopile. The thermopile and regulator circuit of the probe unit are electrically connected to processing circuitry in a chopper unit. Prior to taking a patient's temperature, the probe unit is mated with the chopper unit so that the thermopile detects infrared emissions from a reference target which is also kept at a constant reference temperature by another regulator circuit. The processing circuitry repeatedly acquires the output level of the thermopile and stores calibration data. The probe unit is then removed from the chopper unit, the probe is covered with an IR transparent, disposable speculum, and is inserted in the patient's external ear canal.

Abstract: A sanitary protective cover or sheath for the ear canal probe of a tympanic thermometer has a generally tubular body portion and an infrared transparent membrane attached to and sealing the forward end of the tubular body portion. While the tubular body portion is being injection molded of a plastic material, a film of a similar plastic material is mated to the forward end of the tubular body portion. A portion of the film defining the membrane is thus severed from the film and thermally bonded to the tubular body portion.

Abstract: A hand held probe unit has an infrared sensitive thermopile mounted in a metal housing kept at a constant reference temperature by a regulator circuit. A waveguide tube, surrounded by a thermally insulative probe, directs infrared emissions to the thermopile. The thermopile and regulator circuit of the probe unit are electrically connected to processing circuitry in a chopper unit. Prior to taking a patient's temperature, the probe unit is mated with the chopper unit so that the thermopile detects infrared emissions from a reference target which is also kept at a constant reference temperature by another regulator circuit. The processing circuitry repeatedly acquires the output level of the thermopile and stores calibration data. The probe unit is then removed from the chopper unit, the probe is covered with an IR transparent, disposable speculum, and is inserted in the patient's external ear canal.