PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate execution of a body temperature measurement in a state of appropriately placing a probe part at an external auditory canal of a subject.SOLUTION: An ear thermometer that has a cylindrical probe part and a housing body for housing an infrared detection element measures a body temperature of a subject from a signal obtained by detecting infrared rays emitted from a measurement part inside an external auditory canal of the subject and taken in from a tip of the probe part by using the infrared detection element. In the ear thermometer, a plurality of contact sensors capable of independently detecting existence or nonexistence of a contact with an external object are provided on an end face of the tip or a side face of a tip part of the probe part, and a light projecting/receiving sensor having a projector emitting light and an optical receiver receiving reflected light of light emitted by the projector is disposed inside the probe part. A control part of the ear thermometer enables the infrared detection element to start to measure a body temperature when a signal indicating existence or nonexistence of a contact from each of the plurality of contact sensors and intensity of the light received by the optical receiver satisfy predetermined requirements.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】被検者の外耳道に対して適正にプローブ部を配置した状態での体温計測の実行を容易にする。【解決手段】筒状のプローブ部と、赤外線検出素子を収納した収納体とを有し、被検者の外耳道内の測定部位から放射されプローブ部の先端から取り込まれた赤外線を赤外線検出素子で検出して得られた信号から被検者の体温を測定する耳式体温計は、プローブ部の先端の端面または先端部の側面にはそれぞれが独立して外部物体との接触の有無を検出可能な複数の接触センサが設けられ、プローブ部の内部には、光を発生する投光器と、投光器が発生した光の反射光を受光する受光器とを有する投受光センサが配置される。耳式体温計の制御部は、複数の接触センサそれぞれからの接触の有無を示す信号と、受光器において受光した光の強度とが所定の条件を満たす場合に、赤外線検出素子による体温の測定を開始可能とする。【選択図】 図7
