A. SUMMARY of MODES

The Caregiver thermometer's primary function is clinical fever thermometry. In BODY mode, it produces a temperature equivalent to an internal body temperature (sublingual for adult subjects) by measuring the external skin temperature in the forehead area and applying a mathematical algorithm.

In addition to BODY mode, Caregiver has 2 special purpose modes which are accessed by successively pressing the MODE button. These MODES are ROOM temperature and SURFACE temperature and are explained below.

BODY TEMPERATURE MODE

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BODY mode is the DEFAULT mode of Caregiver. Each time the thermometer is turned ON from a power OFF state by pressing the POWER/START button, the Caregiver is in BODY mode.

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In this MODE, the BODY icon will be displayed in the LCD.

When Caregiver goes into the sleep state, approximately 1 minute after no user activity, the LCD will momentarily display "OFF" and then go blank. When Caregiver is next powered ON, it will be in BODY mode. This feature, assures that the thermometer is not accidently left in a special purpose mode.

Each depression of the POWER/START key will result in a new BODY temperature being displayed. The last 10 temperatures are held in MEMORY for later recall using the MEM key.

SURFACE TEMPERATURE MODE

SURFACE mode is a special purpose mode which has 2 functions :

· Non-contact object temperature

· Calibration Check

To place Caregiver into SURFACE mode, press the POWER/START key to wake up the device, then press and hold the MODE key until the current MODE icon is displayed. Repeatedly press MODE until "SURFACE" displays on the LCD. Caregiver will stay in SURFACE mode until the user presses the MODE key or the device goes into the SLEEP state at which time it will go onto the default BODY mode.

Successive presses of the POWER/START key will result in new SURFACE temperatures being displayed. The last 10 temperatures are held in MEMORY for later recall using the MEM key.

NON-CONTACT OBJECT TEMPERATURE

In SURFACE mode, the temperature of the surface of many objects may be measured without touching the object. For example, the temperature of a baby's formula may be measured by pointing Caregiver at the bottle in SURFACE mode and pressing the Power/Start key.

The temperature is less accurate when measuring metallic or shiny objects. (These objects have surface emissivity significantly below 1.0)

The sensor in Caregiver has a field of view of 16° full cone angle as shown in the figure. (The sensor element is recessed approximately 1" from the end of the thermometer.) This applies to BODY and SURFACE modes.

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At 1" from the end of the thermometer, it will measure the temperature of a circle of 0.56" (1.4 cm) diameter. At 2" away, it will measure the diameter of a circle of 0.84" (2.1 cm), etc.

CALIBRATION CHECK

Some healthcare facilities with biomedical departments check the calibration of their various devices typically every 6 months or annually. This may be accomplished with Caregiver in the SURFACE mode. Caregiver is factory calibrated in SURFACE mode with a national Standards traceable blackbody source to the ASTM E1965-1998 standard [1]. This standard calls for a blackbody source of emissivity greater than 0.99 immersed into a stable waterbath. The equipment required is explained in the standard.

Standalone Caregiver blackbody source calibrators that do not require a waterbath may also be available. Contact Customer Service for availability.

If a re-calibration is necessary, this may be accomplished by placing the thermometer in the CAL mode. CLICK CALIBRATION tab in the Knowledge Base instructions on the re-calibration method.

ROOM TEMPERATURE MODE

ROOM Temperature MODE is the other special purpose mode.

To place Caregiver into ROOM mode, press the POWER/START key to wake up the device, then press and HOLD MODE until the cuurent MODE icon is displayed. Repeatedly press the MODE key until the word ROOM appears on the LCD. Caregiver will stay in ROOM mode until the user presses the MODE key or the device goes into the SLEEP state at which time it will go into the default BODY mode. Successive presses of the POWER/START key will result in new ROOM temperatures being displayed. The last 10 temperatures are held in MEMORY for later recall using the MEM key.

The ROOM temperature displayed is the approximate temperature of the room that the thermometer is placed in. The ROOM temperature sensor is deep inside the instrument so there is a delayed response if the room temperature is suddenly changed. Once stable, the accuracy is approximately 1°F (0.5°C).

References

[1] ASTM E1965-98, Standard Specification for Infrared Thermometers for Intermittent Determination of

Patient Temperature