Systems and methods for determining patient temperature

1. A temperature probe, comprising:

a handle;

a shaft extending from the handle, the shaft having a distal end, a proximal end, and a tip at the distal end;

a capacitance sensor disposed on one of the handle and the shaft, the capacitance sensor configured to measure a change in capacitance when positioned proximate a conductor;

a temperature sensor disposed on the shaft, the temperature sensor configured to measure a body cavity temperature of a patient; and

a controller in communication with the temperature sensor and the capacitance sensor, wherein the controller is configured to determine a patient temperature based on

a) the body cavity temperature, and

b) a difference between a first capacitance measured by the capacitance sensor and a known capacitance stored in a memory associated with the controller.

2. The probe of claim 1 , wherein the capacitance sensor is disposed proximate the distal end of the shaft, and the conductor comprises a body cavity of the patient.

3. The probe of claim 1 , wherein the capacitance sensor is disposed at the tip of the shaft, and the conductor comprises a metallic sheet separated from the tip by a probe cover disposed on the shaft.

4. The probe of claim 3 , wherein the probe cover is disposed within a storage container and the conductor is disposed on a bottom wall of the storage container.

5. The probe of claim 3 , wherein the probe cover is disposed within a storage container and the storage container is disposed within a receptacle, the conductor being disposed on a base of the receptacle.

6. The probe of claim 1 , wherein the capacitance sensor is disposed proximate the proximal end and the conductor comprises a metallic ring encircling a portion of the proximal end.

7. The probe of claim 6 , wherein the metallic ring is connected to the probe and is spaced from an outer surface of the shaft, a probe cover being disposed on the shaft between the metallic ring and a portion of the capacitance sensor.

8. The probe of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the patient temperature based on the measured body cavity temperature and a signal received from the capacitance sensor indicative of a thickness of a probe cover.

9. The probe of claim 8 , wherein the signal received from the capacitance sensor is indicative of the change in capacitance, and wherein the change in capacitance is based on a distance between the capacitance sensor and the conductor.

10. The probe of claim 8 , wherein the signal is indicative of a capacitance measured by the capacitance sensor while the probe cover is disposed on the shaft between the capacitance sensor and the conductor.

11. The probe of claim 1 , wherein the capacitance sensor comprises a single conductive layer configured to generate an electric field extending therefrom, the conductor comprises a body cavity of the patient, and the first capacitance comprises a change in capacitance resulting from the body cavity being disposed within the electric field extending from the conductive layer.

12. The probe of claim 1 , wherein the patient temperature is determined from a group consisting of a core temperature of the patient and an internal temperature of the patient.

13. The probe of claim 1 , wherein the controller uses a value indicative of the difference as an input in a patient temperature calculation.

14. The probe of claim 13 , wherein using a first value, indicative of a first difference, in a first patient temperature calculation yields a first patient temperature, and wherein using a second value, indicative of a second difference, in a second patient temperature yields a second patient temperature different from the first patient temperature.

15. A method of determining a core temperature of a patient, comprising:

determining a first capacitance with a capacitance sensor of a temperature probe;

determining a difference between the first capacitance and a known capacitance stored in a memory associated with the temperature probe;

inserting a portion of the temperature probe into a body cavity of the patient;

measuring a body cavity temperature of the patient with the temperature probe; and

calculating the core temperature of the patient based on the difference and the body cavity temperature.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein measuring the body cavity temperature of the patient comprises activating one of a thermistor and an infrared temperature sensor disposed at a proximal end of the temperature probe.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the first capacitance comprises

inserting a shaft of the temperature probe into a probe cover disposed within a storage container, the storage container having a bottom wall and a conductor disposed on the bottom wall in contact with a distal end of the probe cover, and

measuring a change in capacitance resulting from the capacitance sensor being separated from the conductor by the distal end of the probe cover.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the first capacitance comprises

inserting a shaft of the temperature probe into a probe cover disposed within a storage container, the storage container being disposed within a receptacle having a base and a conductor disposed on the base, and

measuring a change in capacitance resulting from the capacitance sensor being separated from the conductor by a distal end of the probe cover and a bottom wall of the storage container.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the first capacitance comprises

inserting a shaft of the temperature probe into a probe cover such that the probe cover is disposed between the capacitance sensor and a metallic ring encircling a portion of the proximal end of the shaft, and

measuring a change in capacitance resulting from the probe cover being disposed between the capacitance sensor and the metallic ring.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the first capacitance comprises determining a change in capacitance based on a distance between the capacitance sensor and a conductor.