Electronic thermometer with fixed response time

摘要

An electronic thermometer includes a temperature sensitive element and a programmable microcomputer coupled to receive temperature data from the element. After processing the data in accordance with a control program, a predicted temperature is provided on a display. The program includes instructions causing a microcomputer to store temperature data at selected intervals during a fixed duration sampling period. A computation algorithm is then selected from a high ambient temperature algorithm, a normal ambient temperature algorithm, and a low ambient temperature algorithm, and the body temperature computed using one of the selected algorithms. The thermometer also displays operator error if the temperature sensing element senses a decrease in temperature during the fixed duration sampling period.