Monitoring of chemical analytes in patients' blood using a subeyelid detector.

Abstract

This involves monitoring the blood in the patient's palpebral conjunctiva. [Solution] Chemical analytes can be monitored in the blood of the patient's palpebral conjunctiva. A device including a mounting substrate configured to hold a microcircuit and mount optoelectronic components such as one or more microlight-emitting diodes (LEDs) and one or more microphotodiode detectors adjacent to the LEDs can be inserted below the patient's lower eyelid and above the eye. The mounting substrate and optoelectronic components may be covered and protected by a casing containing an infrared-transparent encapsulation material, the surface of which has hydrophobic surface properties in the region above the microLEDs and photodiode detectors. The microLEDs can emit short-wave infrared light with wavelengths of 1300 nm to 1700 nm toward the palpebral conjunctiva. The photodetector can detect the light reflected from the palpebral conjunctiva to monitor the chemical analytes.

Claims

1. A device configured to monitor chemical analytes in a patient's blood, wherein the device is A mounting substrate configured to hold at least one microcircuit equipped with wireless communication and wireless power supply, and an optoelectronic component, wherein the optoelectronic component is One or more light sources configured to emit short-wave infrared light having a wavelength of 900 nm to 1700 nm toward the conjunctiva of the patient's eyelid, A mounting substrate comprising one or more light sensors configured to detect light from the conjunctiva of the eyelid of the patient, A flexible casing configured to fit between the lower eyelid and eyeball of the patient, wherein the casing encloses the mounting substrate and the optoelectronic component, and the casing includes an infrared-transmitting material, At least one or more light sources and a portion of the infrared-transmitting material above one or more light sensors include hydrophobic surface properties. The device is configured to be inserted between the patient's lower eyelid and eye.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the chemical analyte in the blood is glucose.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein one or more light sources are configured to emit short-wave infrared light having a central wavelength of 1525 nm to 1675 nm for measuring the first harmonic absorption peak of glucose.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the casing above the one or more light sources and the one or more light sensors is covered with a high-viscosity oil coating.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the high-viscosity oily coating comprises medical-grade mineral oil and / or medical-grade white petrolatum.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least another portion of the infrared-transmitting material has hydrophilic surface properties.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting substrate is an active flexible printed circuit board (PCB) configured to curve the patient's eyeball by a radius of curvature.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more microLEDs include a microLED that emits short-wave infrared light with a wavelength of 1400 nm to 1500 nm, and at least one other microLED configured to emit short-wave infrared light with one or more other wavelengths of 1300 nm to 1400 nm or 1500 nm to 1700 nm.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the signal detected based on the light emitted from the microLED is subtracted from the signal detected based on the light emitted from at least one other microLED to remove the effect of moisture.

10. The one or more microLEDs mentioned above are An analyte detection micro-LED configured to emit light having a central wavelength of 1525 to 1675 nm and reflect it off glucose in the blood within the conjunctiva of the patient's eyelid, The device according to claim 1, comprising: a moisture detection reference LED configured to emit light having a central wavelength of 1400 to 1500 nm and to reflect it off the moisture in the patient's tear fluid.

11. The microphotodiode detector is configured to receive reflected light from the chemical analytes in the blood within the conjunctiva of the patient's eyelid, and reflected light from the water in the patient's tear fluid. The device according to claim 10, wherein the measured value of the chemical analyte in the blood within the conjunctiva of the patient is determined by subtracting the signal related to the reflected light from the water in the patient's tear film from the signal related to the reflected light from the chemical analyte in the blood within the conjunctiva of the patient's eye.

12. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless antenna that enables wireless power transmission and / or wireless communication with a remote transponder.

13. A method for monitoring chemical analytes in the blood of a patient's palpebral conjunctiva, wherein the method is: The device is inserted below the lower eyelid and above the eye of the patient. The device described above, A mounting substrate configured to hold a microcircuit and mount optoelectronic components, wherein the optoelectronic components are One or more microlight-emitting diodes (LEDs), The system comprises a microphotodiode detector adjacent to one or more LEDs, The aforementioned mounting substrate and the aforementioned optoelectronic components are covered and protected by an infrared-transmitting encapsulation material. The surface of the infrared-transparent encapsulating material has hydrophobic surface properties in the region above the one or more micro-LEDs and the photodiode detector. The above-mentioned micro-LEDs emit short-wave infrared light having a wavelength of 900 nm to 1700 nm toward the palpebral conjunctiva, The photodetector detects the light reflected by the palpebral conjunctiva after receiving the short-wave infrared light emitted by one or more micro-LEDs, A method comprising monitoring the chemical analyte in the blood based on the detection of the chemical analyte.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the chemical analyte in the blood is glucose.

15. The above detection means that The photodetector receives reflected light from the chemical analytes in the blood within the conjunctiva of the patient's eyelid, and reflected light from the water in the patient's tear fluid. The photodetector outputs a first signal related to the reflected light from the chemical analytes in the blood within the conjunctiva of the patient's eyelid, and a second signal reflected from the water in the patient's tear fluid. The method according to claim 14, further comprising determining a measurement value of the chemical analyte in the blood within the eyelid conjunctiva of the patient by subtracting the second signal from the first signal using an external device and / or the microcircuit.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising covering at least a portion of the infrared-transparent encapsulating material having a hydrophobic surface with a high-viscosity oil coating before insertion.

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