A nonintrusive temperature measuring system for estimating deep body temperature in bed

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Physiological Monitoring
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Deep body temperature is a critical indicator of physiological status.
• Current deep body temperature monitoring methods are often invasive and unsuitable for long-term use in awake patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a nonintrusive system for continuous deep body temperature measurement.
• To assess the feasibility of using a neck pillow-based system for accurate temperature estimation.

Main Methods:

• A dual-heat-flux probe and double-sensor probes were integrated into a neck pillow.
• Deep body temperature was estimated using embedded thermometer probes during rest.
• A curve-fitting method was applied to reduce the initial response time for supine position measurements.

Main Results:

• The system successfully estimated deep body temperature in three different sleep positions.
• The curve-fitting method enabled deep body temperature acquisition within one minute for one subject.
• The results indicate the potential for a practical, nonintrusive temperature monitoring system.

Conclusions:

• The developed neck pillow system offers a promising nonintrusive approach to deep body temperature monitoring.
• Further research will focus on developing a general curve-fitting model for broader applicability.
• Future work includes extracting health information, such as sleep structure, from the collected temperature data.