Apparatus for detecting temperature variations over selected regions of living tissue, and method thereof

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting temperature variations over selected regions of living tissue is in the form of a low pressure supported pillow structure including a first wall portion of temperature responsive material and a second wall portion of transparent material to permit viewing of the temperature responsive material. The wall portions comprise a fluid chamber including an inflation valve to permit inflating the pillow structure when gaseous fluids are used. The method of using the pillow structure comprises pressing the temperature responsive film into conformity with the tissue, or portion of other object to be scanned, and viewing the temperature response through the clear wall portion. The flexible film is preferably also elastic and carries liquid crystals on its inner surface to give it a temperature responsive characteristic. The elastic characteristics of such a sheet of material enhances its ability to closely conform to contoured objects or tissues while minimizing local unequal pressure regions--and thereby minimizing meaningless artifacts in the scan. Disposing liquid crystals on the inner surface permits viewing the temperature variation response while the device is in contact with the patient. The temperature response is visible through the transparent material wall. Where non-compressible fluids or semi-solids or gels are used to "inflate" the device, elastic characteristics for a wall portion is preferable. As such inflation media do not compress, an elastic wall portion will stretch to allow the temperature sensitive film to conform to a protrudence extending thereinto.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for detecting temperature variations over selected regions of living tissue comprising: an inflatable chamber having first and second opposed walls, .Iadd.and a sidewall extending between said first and second opposed walls, .Iaddend.   
     
     
       said first wall comprising an elastic sheet which carries temperature-responsive liquid crystals, said second wall comprising a sheet of transparent material, said second wall being substantially rigid and non-elastic relative to said elastic sheet of said first wall,   .Iadd.means for inflating .Iaddend.said chamber .[.having.]. .Iadd.between .Iaddend.an inflated state and a deflated state, said chamber when in .[.said.]. .Iadd.its .Iaddend.inflated state providing a convex surface defined by said elastic sheet.[...]..Iadd., and   said sidewall determining a minimum spacing between said first and second opposed walls to prevent said first and second opposed walls from contacting each other when said chamber is in its deflated state. .Iaddend.   
     
     
       2. The device of claim 1 wherein said sheet of transparent material.[., in said inflated state of said chamber,.]. is substantially flat. 
     
     
       3. The device of claims 1 or 2 .[.comprising:.]. .Iadd.wherein said inflating means comprises .Iaddend.a valve extending through a wall of said chamber to permit inflation and deflation of said chamber. .[.4. The 
     
     
        device of claim 3 wherein said chamber is air inflatable..]. 5. The device of claims 1 or 2 .[.further comprising:.]. .Iadd.wherein said sidewall defines .Iaddend.a substantially rigid frame, the periphery of said .Iadd.elastic .Iaddend.sheet being attached to .[.and defined by.]. said 
     
     
        frame. 6. A device for detecting temperature variations over selected regions of living tissue comprising: an inflatable chamber having first and second opposed walls, .Iadd.and a sidewall extending between said first and second opposed walls,   said sidewall defining a substantially rigid frame, .Iaddend.   said first wall comprising a flexible sheet which carries temperature-responsive liquid crystals, .[.a substantially rigid frame, said sheet being attached to said frame,.]..Iadd.said sheet being attached to said frame, .Iaddend.   said second wall comprising a sheet of .[.transpatent.]. .Iadd.transparent .Iaddend.material, said second wall being substantially rigid and .Iadd.non-elastic .Iaddend.relative to said flexible sheet of said first wall,   .Iadd.means for inflating .Iaddend.said chamber .[.having.]. .Iadd.between .Iaddend.an inflated state and a deflated state, said chamber when in .[.said.]. .Iadd.its .Iaddend.inflated state providing a convex surface defined by said flexible sheet.[...]..Iadd., and   said sidewall determining a minimum spacing between said first and second opposed walls to prevent said first and second opposed walls from contacting each other when said chamber is in its deflated state. .Iaddend. .[.7. The device of claims 1, 2 or 6 further comprising: a substantially rigid side wall extending between said first and second opposed walls, waid side wall determining a minimum spacing between said first and second opposed walls..]. .[.8. The device of claims 1, 2 or 6   
     
     
        wherein said chamber is inflated with a gel-like material..]. 9. The method for detecting temperature variation in selected regions of living tissue comprising the steps of: inflating a chamber having first and second opposed walls .Iadd.and a sidewall, said sidewall extending between said first and second opposed walls, .Iaddend.wherein the first wall includes an elastic sheet which carries temperature-responsive liquid crystals and in which the second wall includes a sheet of transparent material, the second wall being substantially rigid and non-elastic relative to the elastic sheet of the first wall, .Iadd.and in which the sidewall determines a minimum spacing between the first and second opposed walls to prevent the first and second opposed walls from contacting each other when the chamber is deflated, .Iaddend.   said step of inflating causing said elastic sheet to pillow outwardly and provide a convex surface,   pressing the convex surface of said flexible sheet against the tissue to be examined and conforming said .[.film.]. .Iadd.sheet .Iaddend.to the tissue surface, and   observing, through .[.said.]. .Iadd.the .Iaddend.transparent material of said second wall .[.portion.]., the color pattern display of the liquid crystals in said first wall .[.portion.]..