Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A temperature, pulse and respiration probe having a mouthpiece which fits over the patient's teeth and carries a thermistor for sensing the patient's temperature and a reflective photodetector for sensing both the patient's pulse and the patient's respiration. The reflective photodetector is mounted adjacent to a part of the interior surface of the patient's mouth which relatively rapidly, periodically changes its reflectivity due to the patient's pulse and which also relatively slowly, periodically changes its reflectivity due to the patient's respiration. The photodetector produces a single signal representative of both the relatively rapid and the relatively slower changes in the reflectivity corresponding to the patient's pulse and respiration rate, respectively. In one embodiment, all of these sensors are mounted to a portion of the mouthpiece adjacent the patient's inner gum. In another embodiment the sensors are mounted to a portion of the mouthpiece which underlies the patient's tongue. The patient's frenulum linguae is received within a notch in the underlying portion and the thermistor and photodetector are mounted at opposite sides of the notch.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim