FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to pacifiers or nipples indicative of a body temperature.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The importance of the earliest detection of a rise in the body-temperature of a human being is well known. It is particularly important to detect a rise in temperature of an infant. The traditional areas for temperature measurement are rectal, axillary and oral. None of these measurements is pleasant for the infant, and may cause him discomfort and even distress. In order to perform such measurements only when absolutely necessary, it is important to have a preliminary indication to whether the infant has a fever.

There are known temperature indicative pacifiers for infants, such as, for example, disclosed in EP 0689826 and US 5,873,892, where a thermographic insert is provided in the front side of a pacifier flange in an area thereof adapted to overlie the infant's chin in intimate contact therewith, while the infant sucks on the pacifier nipple.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a pacifier comprising a nipple and a flange having an inner face facing the nipple and an outer face opposite to said inner face. The flange is made of a material sensitive to temperature changes and adapted to change its visual appearance from a first appearance to a second appearance. The first appearance is indicative of a first body temperature range and the second appearance is different from said first appearance and is indicative of a second body temperature range.

The first appearance may be defined by at least one first color and the second appearance may be defined by at least one second color different from said first color. The flange may be opaque in one of Ms first and second appearances, and may be transparent in the other of said first and second appearances.

The difference between the first and the second appearance is preferably visible from a maximum distance at which a person with normal visual acuity and normal color vision is able to see.

The flange may be made of a thermographic material and/or liquid crystal and may comprise a holder attached thereto and, optionally, made of a material different from that of the flange.

The first body temperature range may correspond to a normal fever condition, while the second body temperature range may correspond to a high fever condition.

The flange may further comprise a third appearance different from said first and second appearances and being indicative of a third body temperature range, which may optionally correspond to a low fever condition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an illustration of a pacifier according to the present invention with a flange having its first appearance;

Fig. 2 is an illustration of one example of the appearance of the flange shown in Fig. 1 ; and

Fig. 3 is an illustration of another example of the appearance of the flange shown in Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 1 shows one example of a pacifier 10 according to the present invention. The pacifier 10 comprises a nipple 11 to be inserted into an infant's mouth, a flange 13 and a holder 19 attached to the flange 13.

The flange 13 comprises an inner surface 23 facing the nipple 11 and adapted to be in intimate contact, when in use, with the infant's face, and an outer surface 33, opposite to the inner surface 23, to which the holder 19 is attached, optionally by means of an attachment 12. The flange 13 has a thickness T between its inner 23 and outer 33 surfaces.

The entire flange 13 is made of a material sensitive to temperature changes and is capable to change its visual appearance in response to such changes to the extent that the change is visible from a maximum distance at which a person with normal visual acuity is able to see.

In particular, the material may have several appearances, each corresponding to a different temperature or a range of temperatures. The appearances may differ one from the other by the color of the material, its transparency or by a combination of these parameters.

More particularly, the material from which the flange 13 is made may be characterized by two appearances. The first appearance of the material is defined by a first color and/or a first level of transparency and corresponds to a first body temperature range T ₁ . The second appearance of the flange 13 is defined by a second color (Fig. 2) and/or a second level of transparency (Fig. 3) and corresponds to a second body temperature range T ₂ so that T ₂ ≠Ti. In this connection, the levels of transparency of the flange may vary between completely opaque and completely transparent.

The body temperature ranges are defined by a predetermined threshold temperature TH, SO that the first temperature range satisfies T^TH and is considered to be "normal fever", and the second temperature range satisfies T ₂ >TH and is considered to be "high fever". In such case, the first appearance of the flange 13 will be indicative of a normal fever condition of the infant and the second appearance of the flange 13 will be indicative of a high fever condition of the infant. The flange 13 may optionally provide an indication to a low fever condition and thus have a third temperature range T ₃ <T _L , where T _L is a second predetermined threshold under which the body temperature is considered to be lower than normal body temperature of the infant. In such a case the flange 13 will have a third appearance different from the first and the second appearances explained above, defined by a third color/level of transparency.

The threshold temperature TH may be for example 37 ⁰ C ₅ and the threshold temperature TL may be for example 36 ⁰ C and the material of which the flange 13 is made should be chosen so as to have its second appearance and optionally third appearance accordingly. As mentioned above, it is important that the differences between the appearances of the flange 13 have to be clear enough so that they are visible from a maximum distance at which a person with normal visual acuity is able to see. Preferably, the flange 13 is designed so as to have a contrast in colors of its different appearances. For example, the first appearance of the flange 13 may be defined by a color or a combination of colors from a "cold" group of colors, such as blue, green and purple, and the second appearance of the flange 13 may be defined by a color or a combination of colors from a "hot" (also referred to as "warm") group of colors, such as red, yellow and orange.

The thickness T of the flange 13 has to be sufficiently small to allow relatively fast heat transfer from the infant's body through the material the flange 13 is made of, and consequently, a relatively fast change between its first, second and, optionally, third appearances. The greater is the difference between the normal temperature and the high/low temperature the faster is the heat transfer through the flange 13 and consequently the change of the appearance. The thickness T of the above materials may for example be within a range 0.3-0.5mm.

Examples of suitable thermographic and/or liquid crystals materials that can be used are CHROMICOLOR PP Conc/PP Resin manufactured by Matsui Shikiso Chemical Co., Ltd, Kyoto, Japan, CHROMAZONE, manufactured by Davis Liquid Crystals Inc. San Leonardo, Calif, and/or THERMACHROME manufactured by Polymertech Inc. Tokyo, Japan.

The flange of the pacifier according to the present invention may be made of several materials, each having two or more appearances. In such a case, only some of the materials may be used as temperature indicators, while others may decorative function.

In addition, the flange may have a thermographic insert as described in EP 0689826 and US 5,873,892 incorporated herein by reference.

The pacifier according to the present invention is to be used as a fever indicator rather than a thermometer, as it gives no information regarding the infant's body temperature, but only an indication to the temperature range. Once the flange indicates any condition different than normal, it may be advisable to detect actual temperature by other means. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will readily appreciate that numerous changes, variations, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, mutatis mutandis.