Raman spectroscopy-based non-invasive glucose meter

Abstract

A Raman spectroscopy-based non-invasive glucose meter, comprising a light source module (110), a dichroic mirror (130), a lens module (150), an optical filter (191), and a photoelectric spectral measurement module (170). The light source module (110), the photoelectric spectral measurement module (170), and the lens module (150) are all arranged to correspond to the dichroic mirror (130). The optical filter (191) is disposed on a light-incident side of the photoelectric spectral measurement module (170) to filter out short-wavelength excitation light, and the photoelectric spectral measurement module (170) obtains spectral information by changing the refractive index in its own material.

Description

Non-invasive blood glucose meter based on Raman spectroscopy

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on January 31, 2024, with application number 202410133416.4 and invention name “Non-invasive blood glucose meter based on Raman spectroscopy”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of measurement technology, and in particular to a non-invasive blood glucose meter based on Raman spectroscopy. Background Art

[0003] Blood glucose testing, as a crucial component of comprehensive diabetes management, plays a vital role in diabetes diagnosis, control, and treatment. Although invasive testing methods are widely used in clinical diabetic patients, these methods suffer from poor patient compliance, require replacement of consumables for each test, are expensive, and are inconvenient for frequent and continuous testing. Furthermore, because they are invasive, they carry the risk of infection.

[0004] With the advancement of technology, Raman spectroscopy has become a new, noninvasive method for measuring blood glucose. However, Raman spectroscopy requires the use of a spectral measurement instrument, which results in a bulky and expensive instrument that is not suitable for daily use. Miniaturizing noninvasive blood glucose meters based on Raman spectroscopy has become a pressing technical challenge in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention includes, for example, providing a non-invasive blood glucose meter based on Raman spectroscopy, which can perform non-invasive blood glucose measurement on the basis of miniaturization.

[0006] The embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as follows:

[0007] The present invention provides a non-invasive blood glucose meter based on Raman spectroscopy, comprising a light source module, a dichroic mirror, a lens module, a filter and a photoelectric spectrum measurement module;

[0008] The light source module, the photoelectric spectrum measurement module and the lens module are all arranged corresponding to the dichroic mirror;

[0009] The filter is arranged on the light-incoming side of the photoelectric spectrum measurement module to filter out the short-wavelength excitation light;

[0010] The light beam emitted by the light source module can be projected to the lens module through the dichroic mirror, and then projected to a preset part of the human body through the lens module to obtain a Raman light signal;

[0011] The acquired Raman light signal can be projected onto the dichroic mirror after passing through the lens module, and then projected onto the filter through the dichroic mirror, and then incident upon the photoelectric spectrum measurement module after passing through the filter. The photoelectric spectrum measurement module can have different refractive indices depending on the voltage applied thereto to obtain spectral information of the Raman light signal under different refractive indices, and the spectral information is used to calculate the blood glucose concentration.

[0012] In an optional embodiment, the photoelectric spectrum measurement module includes a photoelectric material unit, a detector unit and a calculation unit;

[0013] The photoelectric material unit is arranged on the light-emitting side of the dichroic mirror, and the detector unit is arranged on the light-emitting side of the photoelectric material unit. The Raman light signal can be projected to the photoelectric material unit through the dichroic mirror;

[0014] The photoelectric material unit may have different refractive indices depending on the voltages applied thereto;

[0015] The detector is used to detect the light intensity information passing through the photoelectric material unit;

[0016] The calculation unit may calculate and obtain spectral information according to the voltage applied to the photoelectric material unit and the light intensity information.

[0017] In an optional embodiment, the photoelectric material unit includes a first conductive glass, a second conductive glass and a liquid crystal material;

[0018] The liquid crystal material is encapsulated between the first conductive glass and the second conductive glass. Applying different voltages to the first conductive glass and the second conductive glass can change the refractive index of the photoelectric material unit.

[0019] In an optional embodiment, the optoelectronic material unit further includes a packaging glue, and the packaging glue is disposed between the first conductive glass and the second conductive glass to form a sealed cavity, and the liquid crystal material is disposed in the cavity.

[0020] In an optional embodiment, the first conductive glass and the second conductive glass are both ITO conductive glass; and / or,

[0021] The inner sides of the first conductive glass and the second conductive glass are both provided with a high reflective film.

[0022] In an optional embodiment, the photoelectric material unit further includes a drive control module, and the drive control module is electrically connected to the first conductive glass and the second conductive glass.

[0023] In an optional embodiment, the detector unit is attached and fixed to the photoelectric material unit.

[0024] In an optional embodiment, the light source module includes at least one laser module and a first collimating lens;

[0025] The wavelength band of the laser module is 800nn-2600nm;

[0026] The first collimating lens is disposed between the laser module and the dichroic mirror.

[0027] In an optional embodiment, the non-invasive blood glucose meter based on Raman spectroscopy further includes a second collimating lens;

[0028] The second collimating lens is arranged between the filter and the photoelectric spectrum measurement module.

[0029] In an optional embodiment, the light source module is arranged on a first side of the dichroic mirror, the photoelectric spectrum measurement module is arranged on a second side of the dichroic mirror, and the lens module is arranged on a third side of the dichroic mirror;

[0030] The light beam emitted by the light source module can be transmitted through the dichroic mirror to the lens module, and the obtained Raman light signal can be projected to the dichroic mirror through the lens module, and then reflected to the photoelectric spectrum measurement module through the dichroic mirror; or, the light beam emitted by the light source module can be reflected through the dichroic mirror to the lens module, and the obtained Raman light signal can be projected to the dichroic mirror through the lens module, and then transmitted to the photoelectric spectrum measurement module through the dichroic mirror.

[0031] The beneficial effects of the non-invasive blood glucose meter based on Raman spectroscopy provided by the embodiments of the present invention include, for example:

[0032] The present application is achieved by arranging a light source module and a lens module, and arranging a photoelectric spectrum measurement module and a dichroic mirror in correspondence. The light beam emitted by the light source module can be projected to the lens module through the dichroic mirror, and then transmitted to a preset part of the human body through the lens module to obtain the blood glucose Raman spectrum. The acquired Raman light information can be projected to the photoelectric spectrum measurement module through the dichroic mirror after passing through the lens module. The photoelectric spectrum measurement module can obtain the spectral information of the Raman light information under different refractive indices according to the refractive index achieved by applying different voltages to it, thereby calculating the blood glucose concentration. The filter can filter the excitation light of the light source module to reduce interference. The present application can use Raman spectroscopy to achieve non-invasive blood glucose measurement, and the photoelectric spectrum measurement module in the present application is small in size, thereby reducing the overall size of the blood glucose meter and making it more compact, which can be convenient for daily use and can even be integrated into mobile terminals or wearable devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0034] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the optical path of a non-invasive blood glucose meter based on Raman spectroscopy provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a photoelectric spectrum measurement module of a non-invasive blood glucose meter based on Raman spectroscopy according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0036] Icons: 100- Non-invasive blood glucose meter based on Raman spectroscopy; 110- Light source module; 111- Laser module; 113- First collimating lens; 130- Dichroic mirror; 150- Lens module; 170- Photoelectric spectrum measurement module; 171- Photoelectric material unit; 172- Detector unit; 173- First conductive glass; 175- Second conductive glass; 177- Liquid crystal material; 178- High reflective film; 179- Packaging glue; 183- Drive control module; 191- Filter; 193- Second collimating lens. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0038] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the features in the embodiments of the present invention may be combined with each other. Example

[0039] Referring to FIG. 1 , this embodiment provides a non-invasive blood glucose meter 100 based on Raman spectroscopy, which can perform non-invasive blood glucose measurement on the basis of miniaturization.

[0040] In this embodiment, the non-invasive blood glucose meter 100 based on Raman spectroscopy includes a light source module 110, a dichroic mirror 130, a lens module 150, a filter 191, and a photoelectric spectroscopy measurement module 170. The light source module 110, the photoelectric spectroscopy measurement module 170, and the lens module 150 are all arranged corresponding to the dichroic mirror 130. The filter 191 is arranged on the light-incoming side of the photoelectric spectroscopy measurement module 170 to filter out short-wavelength excitation light. The light beam emitted by the light source module 110 can be projected from the dichroic mirror 130 to the lens module 150, and then projected from the lens module 150 to a predetermined part of the human body to obtain a Raman light signal. The acquired Raman light signal passes through lens module 150 and is then projected onto dichroic mirror 130. Dichroic mirror 130 then projects the signal onto filter 191, which then enters photoelectric spectroscopy module 170. Photoelectric spectroscopy module 170 can have different refractive indices depending on the voltage applied to it, thereby obtaining spectral information of the Raman light signal at different refractive indices. This spectral information is used to calculate blood glucose concentration. The photoelectric spectroscopy module 170 in this embodiment is compact, thus reducing the overall size of the blood glucose meter. This makes the meter more convenient for daily use and can even be integrated into mobile devices or wearable devices.

[0041] It should be noted that the preset parts of the human body can be the wrist, fingers, base of the thumb, earlobe, arm, etc. Raman spectroscopy detects blood glucose by using a monochromatic light source ranging from visible light to mid-infrared light. The interaction of the light waves of the monochromatic light source with human tissue causes the rotation and vibration of glucose molecules within the tissue. Since the vibration between glucose molecules is closely related to the molecular concentration of glucose, blood glucose detection is completed based on the linear relationship between glycated hemoglobin and blood glucose concentration.

[0042] It should also be noted that the dichroic mirror 130 is a commonly used optical mirror, which is characterized by almost complete transmission of light of a certain wavelength and almost complete reflection of light of other wavelengths. In this way, the emission light path and the return light path are integrated into one optical path system. Short-wavelength laser is a laser that emits short-wavelength electromagnetic waves. The wavelength range of short wavelength is roughly below 0.4 microns. If divided more finely, it includes ultraviolet rays of 0.4 to 0.2 microns, extreme ultraviolet rays (or far ultraviolet rays, vacuum ultraviolet rays) of 0.2 to 0.01 microns, and ultraviolet rays of 0.01 to 10 (-6) Micron X-rays and 10 (-6) Gamma rays below micrometers.

[0043] In this embodiment, the light source module 110 is disposed on a first side of the dichroic mirror 130, the photoelectric spectrum measurement module 170 is disposed on a second side of the dichroic mirror 130, and the lens module 150 is disposed on a third side of the dichroic mirror 130. The light beam emitted by the light source module 110 is transmitted through the dichroic mirror 130 to the lens module 150. The obtained Raman light signal is projected onto the dichroic mirror through the lens module 150 and then reflected by the dichroic mirror 130 to the photoelectric spectrum measurement module 170.

[0044] Specifically, the light beam emitted by the light source module can pass through the dichroic mirror 130, entering from the first side of the dichroic mirror 130, passing through the dichroic mirror 130's transmissivity, and exiting from the third side. The captured Raman light signal is reflected by the dichroic mirror 130, while the Raman light signal entering from the third side is also reflected by the dichroic mirror 130 and exits from the second side into the spectral photoelectric measurement module.

[0045] Of course, in some embodiments of the present application, the film properties on the dichroic mirror 130 can be modified so that the light beam emitted by the light source module 110 is reflected by the dichroic mirror 130, while the obtained Raman light signal is transmitted through the dichroic mirror 130. For example, the light beam emitted by the light source module 110 can be reflected by the dichroic mirror 130 to the lens module 150, and the obtained Raman light signal can be projected to the dichroic mirror through the lens module 150, and then transmitted through the dichroic mirror 130 to the photoelectric spectrum measurement module 170.

[0046] In addition, in some embodiments, the placement of the optical element can be adaptively adjusted by adding a reflector, etc. In this embodiment, the lens module 150 is a lens or an objective lens, which has focused the emitted light.

[0047] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the photoelectric spectroscopy measurement module 170 includes a photoelectric material unit 171, a detector unit 172, and a computing unit. The photoelectric material unit 171 is disposed in correspondence with the dichroic mirror 130. The photoelectric material unit 171 has a light input side and a light output side. The light input side allows the light beam to enter, while the light output side allows the modulated light beam to be emitted. The Raman light signal emitted by the dichroic mirror 130 can enter the photoelectric material unit 171 through the light input side. The detector unit 172 is disposed on the light output side of the photoelectric material unit 171 to receive the light beam modulated by the photoelectric material unit 171 and measure its intensity. The Raman light signal can be reflected by the dichroic mirror 130 to the light input side of the photoelectric material unit 171. The photoelectric material unit 171 can achieve different refractive indices by applying different voltages, thereby modulating the incoming light beam and emitting it from the light output side. The detector on the light output side detects the intensity of the light beam emitted by the photoelectric material unit 171. The calculation unit may calculate the spectrum information according to the voltage applied to the photoelectric material unit 171 and the light intensity information.

[0048] Because the actual voltage corresponds to the refractive index, which in turn corresponds to the wavelength, this embodiment utilizes the photoelectric material unit 171 and the detector unit 172 to conveniently generate a spectrum of the Raman light signal, which can then be used to determine the blood glucose concentration. Overall, the photoelectric spectral measurement module 170 formed by the photoelectric material unit 171 and the detector unit 172 is compact and convenient for daily use.

[0049] In this embodiment, the electro-optical material unit 171 includes a first conductive glass 173, a second conductive glass 175, and a liquid crystal material 177. The liquid crystal material 177 is encapsulated between the first conductive glass 173 and the second conductive glass 175. Applying different voltages to the first conductive glass 173 and the second conductive glass 175 can change the refractive index of the electro-optical material unit 171.

[0050] In this embodiment, the orientation of the liquid crystal can be adjusted by adjusting the amplitude of the voltage between the first conductive glass 173 and the second conductive glass 175. The refractive index of the corresponding photoelectric material unit 171 will change when the liquid crystal orientation changes, ultimately causing a specific wavelength to resonate. The resonated wavelength is combined with the refractive index corresponding to the voltage to obtain the corresponding wavelength and the light intensity detected by the detector unit 172, which can easily and accurately obtain the spectrum of the Raman light signal. The blood glucose concentration can be easily calculated using the spectrum. The small size of the liquid crystal material 177 between the first conductive glass 173 and the second conductive glass 175 can facilitate the miniaturization of the photoelectric spectrum measurement module 170. This reduces the overall size of the non-invasive blood glucose meter.

[0051] 1 and 2 , in this embodiment, the optoelectronic material unit 171 further includes a packaging glue 179 . The packaging glue 179 is disposed between the first conductive glass 173 and the second conductive glass 175 to form a sealed cavity. The liquid crystal material 177 is disposed in the cavity.

[0052] The encapsulating glue 179 is provided to form a sealed cavity between the first conductive glass 173 and the second conductive glass 175 , so that the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules changes when the voltage changes.

[0053] In this embodiment, the first conductive glass 173 and the second conductive glass 175 are both ITO conductive glass.

[0054] Since ITO conductive glass has high light transmittance, it can make the measurement more accurate.

[0055] In this embodiment, a high reflective film 178 is disposed on the inner sides of the first conductive glass 173 and the second conductive glass 175 .

[0056] This embodiment sets a high-reflection film 178, thereby utilizing the interference effect and multi-layer film structure of the high-reflection film 178. During the alternating stacking process of different dielectric film layers, light will interfere between the film layers, thereby enhancing or suppressing light of a specific wavelength.

[0057] In this embodiment, the electro-optical material unit 171 further includes a drive control module 183. The drive control module 183 is electrically connected to the first conductive glass 173 and the second conductive glass 175. The drive module facilitates controlling the voltage across the first conductive glass 173 and the second conductive glass 175 to change the refractive index of the liquid crystal material 177.

[0058] Referring to Figures 1 and 2 , in this embodiment, detector unit 172 is a PD photodetector, a CMOS photodetector, or an sCMOS photodetector. Detector unit 172 records the intensity of the light beam transmitted through the photoelectric material at a given time. Combined with the wavelength obtained at the current voltage, a spectrum of the Raman light signal can be generated over a period of time.

[0059] In this embodiment, the detector unit 172 is attached and fixed to the light-emitting side of the photoelectric material unit 171 .

[0060] In this embodiment, the light source module 110 includes at least one laser module 111 and a first collimating lens 113. The laser light emitted by the laser module 111 has a wavelength of 800 nm to 2600 nm. This wavelength matches the absorption band of glucose molecules, improving accuracy. The first collimating lens 113 is positioned between the laser module 111 and the dichroic mirror 130 to collimate the light beam.

[0061] In this embodiment, the laser module 111 may be a laser diode or a vertical cavity surface laser.

[0062] In some embodiments of the present application, there is a single laser module 111, whose wavelength corresponds to the near-infrared region of the harmonic and summed frequency vibrations of glucose molecules. In other embodiments, there may be multiple laser modules 111. In such cases, one of the modules is a reference module, whose wavelength does not correspond to the absorption band of glucose molecules and can be used for comparison to improve accuracy. Other modules correspond to the absorption band of glucose molecules, such as 800-900nm, 1200-1700nm, etc.

[0063] In this embodiment, the laser module 111 may be a DFB laser, a VCSEL laser, or the like.

[0064] 1 and 2 , in this embodiment, the non-invasive blood glucose meter 100 based on Raman spectroscopy further includes a second collimating lens 193. The second collimating lens 193 is disposed between the filter 191 and the photoelectric spectroscopy measurement module 170, thereby improving accuracy.

[0065] The beneficial effects of the non-invasive blood glucose meter 100 based on Raman spectroscopy provided by the embodiment of the present invention include:

[0066] This application utilizes a light source module 110 and a lens module 150, and places a photoelectric spectroscopy measurement module 170 corresponding to a dichroic mirror 130. The light beam emitted by the light source module 110 is projected via the dichroic mirror 130 onto the lens module 150, which then transmits the light to a predetermined portion of the human body to obtain a Raman spectrum of blood glucose. The acquired Raman light information, after passing through the lens module 150, is projected via the dichroic mirror 130 onto the photoelectric spectroscopy measurement module 170. The photoelectric spectroscopy measurement module 170 can adjust its refractive index based on the voltage applied to it, thereby obtaining spectral information of Raman light at different refractive indices, thereby calculating blood glucose concentration. The filter 191 filters the excitation light from the light source module 110, thereby reducing interference. This application utilizes Raman spectroscopy to achieve non-invasive blood glucose measurement. The photoelectric spectroscopy measurement module 170 is compact, thus reducing the overall size of the blood glucose meter and making it more compact, making it convenient for daily use and even integrated into mobile devices or wearable devices.

[0067] The above are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A non-invasive blood glucose meter detector unit based on Raman spectroscopy, characterized in that: It includes a light source module (110), a dichroic mirror (130), a lens module (150), a filter (191), and a photoelectric spectrum measurement module (170); The light source module (110), the photoelectric spectrum measurement module (170), and the lens module (150) are all arranged corresponding to the dichroic mirror (130); The filter (191) is arranged on the light-incoming side of the photoelectric spectrum measurement module (170) to filter out short-wavelength excitation light; The light beam emitted by the light source module (110) can be projected to the lens module (150) via the dichroic mirror (130), and then projected to a preset part of the human body via the lens module (150) to obtain a Raman light signal; The obtained Raman light signal can be projected onto the dichroic mirror (130) after passing through the lens module (150), and then projected onto the filter (191) through the dichroic mirror (130), and then injected into the photoelectric spectrum measurement module (170) after passing through the filter (191). The photoelectric spectrum measurement module (170) obtains spectral information of the Raman light signal, and the spectral information is used to calculate the blood glucose concentration; The photoelectric spectrum measurement module obtains spectrum information by changing the refractive index of its own material.

2. The non-invasive blood glucose meter detector unit based on Raman spectroscopy according to claim 1, characterized in that: The photoelectric spectrum measurement module (170) comprises a photoelectric material unit (171) and a detector unit (172); The photoelectric material unit (171) is arranged corresponding to the dichroic mirror (130), the photoelectric material unit (171) has a light-incoming side and a light-outgoing side, the detector unit (172) is arranged on the light-outgoing side of the photoelectric material unit (171), and the Raman light signal can be projected onto the light-incoming side of the photoelectric material unit (171) via the dichroic mirror (130); The photoelectric material unit (171) may have different refractive indices depending on the applied voltage; The detector is used to detect light intensity information of the Raman light signal passing through the photoelectric material unit (171); The transmittance and the light intensity information form spectral information.

3. The non-invasive blood glucose meter detector unit based on Raman spectroscopy according to claim 2, characterized in that: The photoelectric material unit (171) includes a first conductive glass (173), a second conductive glass (175), and a liquid crystal material (177); The liquid crystal material (177) is encapsulated between the first conductive glass (173) and the second conductive glass (175), and applying different voltages to the first conductive glass (173) and the second conductive glass (175) can change the refractive index of the photoelectric material unit (171).

4. The non-invasive blood glucose meter detector unit based on Raman spectroscopy according to claim 3, characterized in that: The photoelectric material unit (171) further includes a packaging glue (179), wherein the packaging glue (179) is arranged between the first conductive glass (173) and the second conductive glass (175) to form a sealed cavity, and the liquid crystal material (177) is arranged in the sealed cavity.

5. The non-invasive blood glucose meter detector unit based on Raman spectroscopy according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first conductive glass (173) and the second conductive glass (175) are both ITO conductive glass; and / or, A high-reflective film (178) is provided on the inner sides of both the first conductive glass (173) and the second conductive glass (175).

6. The non-invasive blood glucose meter detector unit based on Raman spectroscopy according to claim 3, characterized in that: The photoelectric material unit (171) further includes a drive control module (183), wherein the drive control module (183) is electrically connected to the first conductive glass (173) and the second conductive glass (175).

7. The non-invasive blood glucose meter detector unit based on Raman spectroscopy according to claim 3, characterized in that: The detector unit (172) is fitted and fixed to the photoelectric material unit (171).

8. The non-invasive blood glucose meter detector unit based on Raman spectroscopy according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The light source module (110) comprises at least one laser module (111) and a first collimating lens (113); The wavelength band of the laser module (111) is 800nm-2600nm; The first collimating lens (113) is arranged between the laser module (111) and the dichroic mirror (130).

9. The non-invasive blood glucose meter detector unit based on Raman spectroscopy according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The non-invasive blood glucose meter detector unit based on Raman spectroscopy also includes a second collimating lens (193); The second collimating lens (193) is arranged between the filter (191) and the photoelectric spectrum measurement module (170).

10. The non-invasive blood glucose meter detector unit based on Raman spectroscopy according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The light source module (110) is arranged on a first side of the dichroic mirror (130), the photoelectric spectrum measurement module (170) is arranged on a second side of the dichroic mirror (130), and the lens module (150) is arranged on a third side of the dichroic mirror (130); The light beam emitted by the light source module (110) can be transmitted through the dichroic mirror (130) to the lens module (150), and the obtained Raman light signal can be projected to the dichroic mirror through the lens module (150), and then reflected from the dichroic mirror (130) to the photoelectric spectrum measurement module (170); or, the light beam emitted by the light source module (110) can be reflected from the dichroic mirror (130) to the lens module (150), and the obtained Raman light signal can be projected to the dichroic mirror through the lens module (150), and then transmitted from the dichroic mirror (130) to the photoelectric spectrum measurement module.

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