Hemoglobin Measurement Using Integrating Sphere to Correct Blood Scattering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Measuring hemoglobin parameters in whole blood is challenging due to strong optical scattering, which causes light loss and nonlinear absorbance, making it difficult to accurately determine hemoglobin and total bilirubin levels using existing spectroscopic systems.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a prism-based spectrometer with optical diffusers to stabilize the spatial light distribution, increases the LED white light brightness, and uses advanced algorithms to handle scattering effects, allowing for faster spectral acquisition and improved wavelength accuracy, thereby enhancing the measurement of hemoglobin parameters in whole blood.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional spectroscopic systems are used to measure whole blood, then the measurement process is simple, but strong optical scattering causes light loss and nonlinear absorbance, making accurate determination of hemoglobin parameters difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an integrating sphere as an intermediary component between the light source and the blood sample. The sphere collects scattered light from all directions and redirects it through the sample, converting chaotic scattering into useful signal. This mediator transforms the harmful scattering effect into a measurable advantage, enabling accurate hemoglobin parameter determination despite strong optical scattering in whole blood.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from direct transmission absorbance to integrated scatter-corrected absorbance. By using the integrating sphere to collect light over a wide angular range and process the scattered light through mathematical models, the system transforms the measurement approach to account for scattering effects, thereby improving measurement precision without requiring sample lysis.
2Ease of operation
If lysed blood is used instead of whole blood, then light scattering is reduced and measurement is straightforward, but the lysing process adds complexity and time to the measurement procedure
Solution Approach 1:
The integrating sphere acts as a mediator that enables whole blood measurement without lysis. It captures scattered light that would otherwise be lost and redirects it through the sample, allowing the system to achieve adequate signal quality directly from whole blood. This eliminates the need for the lysing intermediary step, simplifying the overall measurement process while maintaining accuracy.
3Productivity
If faster spectral acquisition is implemented, then productivity increases, but measurement precision may be compromised due to reduced integration time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from single-wavelength or narrow-band measurement to broad-spectrum measurement using the integrating sphere's omnidirectional light collection. By gathering spectral information across a wide wavelength range simultaneously and using multivariate analysis, the system achieves both speed and precision - the dimensional expansion of the measurement space allows faster acquisition without sacrificing accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces measurement errors and improves the accuracy of hemoglobin and bilirubin parameter determination in whole blood, enabling precise analysis with faster spectral acquisition and increased dynamic range.
Implementation Method 1
The spectrometer module receives the light from the light-emitting end of the optical fiber, separates the light into a plurality of light beams where each light beam has a different wavelength
Implementation Method 2
The system employs a prism-based spectrometer with optical diffusers to stabilize the spatial light distribution
Implementation Method 3
The light-emitting module has an LED light source capable of emitting light where the light is directed along an optical path
Implementation Method 4
An ultraviolet-visible light spectroscopic system involves absorption spectroscopy or reflectance spectroscopy. As the name implies, such systems use light in the visible and near ultraviolet ranges for analyzing a sample
Data Source
AI summary
A system of measuring hemoglobin and bilirubin parameters in a whole blood sample using optical absorbance. The system includes an optical-sample module, a spectrometer module, an optical fiber module optically connecting the optical-sample module to the spectrometer module, and a processor module. The optical-sample module has a light-emitting module having a LED light source, a cuvette and a calibrating-light module. The processor module receives and processes an electrical signal from the spectrometer module and transforms the electrical signal into an output signal useable for displaying and reporting hemoglobin parameter values and/or total bilirubin parameter values for the whole blood sample.