Non-Invasive Glucose Detection Using Terahertz And IR Signals
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing non-invasive methods for determining glucose in blood are painful, require significant apparatus, and are susceptible to errors.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that combines terahertz and IR radiation to acquire and evaluate signals from a body region, using differential evaluation to correct for interfering substances and improve accuracy, with temperature compensation and selective IR radiation analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If invasive methods (blood sample or implanted sensor) are used for glucose determination, then measurement precision is improved, but patient comfort deteriorates (painful and uncomfortable)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical/invasive blood sampling methods with optical radiation-based measurement. Terahertz and IR radiation are used to non-invasively penetrate tissue and detect analyte concentrations, eliminating needles and implanted sensors while maintaining measurement capability through electromagnetic interaction with molecular bonds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical radiation (terahertz and IR) as an intermediary between the measurement system and the analyte. This intermediary enables indirect detection of glucose and other analytes through their characteristic absorption spectra, avoiding direct contact with blood while preserving measurement precision.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If non-invasive methods are used to avoid patient discomfort, then patient comfort is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates (error susceptibility)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two different radiation types (terahertz and IR) into a single measurement system. Each radiation type targets different molecular vibrations and absorption characteristics, and their combined evaluation creates a more robust measurement that compensates for individual limitations and reduces error susceptibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a spectral dimension to the measurement by utilizing multiple wavelength ranges (terahertz and IR). This dimensional expansion allows differentiation of analytes based on their unique absorption fingerprints across different spectral regions, improving precision through multi-dimensional signal analysis.
3Measurement precision
If multiple radiation types (terahertz and IR) are combined for measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the device with multi-functional components that can handle both terahertz and IR radiation. The evaluation unit performs multiple functions: acquiring signals from both radiation types, processing their respective absorption spectra, and integrating the data to determine analyte concentrations, thereby managing complexity through functional integration.
4Measurement precision
If terahertz radiation is used for analyte detection, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases (requires terahertz source and detector)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical sampling and laboratory analysis systems with terahertz and IR optical systems. The terahertz radiation source and detector substitute for invasive blood sampling equipment, providing a streamlined device that achieves high precision through electromagnetic spectroscopy rather than mechanical intervention.
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
Accurately determines analytes like glucose with ±2.5% accuracy, reducing pain and apparatus requirements while minimizing error susceptibility.
Implementation Method 1
a radiation source for generating terahertz radiation, in particular terahertz radiation in a wavelength region of from approximately 0.1 mm to approximately 5 mm, for irradiating the body region to be examined... a unit for acquiring reflected terahertz radiation from the body region to be examined, which unit is designed for acquiring terahertz radiation in a wavelength range in which the intensity of the reflected terahertz radiation changes in a manner dependent on the concentration of the analyte to be determined
Implementation Method 2
a unit for acquiring the body's own IR radiation from the body region to be examined, which unit is designed for separate acquisition of IR radiation in at least two different wavelengths or wavelength ranges in the wavelength region of from approximately 0.7 μm to approximately 20 μm... at a first wavelength or a first wavelength range the intensity of the body's own IR radiation being substantially independent of the concentration of the analyte to be determined, and at a second wavelength or a second wavelength range the intensity of the body's own IR radiation changing in a manner dependent on the concentration of the analyte to be determined
Implementation Method 3
a unit which is designed for temperature-compensated evaluation of the signals originating from the acquisition unit (c), and for determining the concentration of the analyte on the basis of the evaluated signals
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates a device and a method for noninvasively determining an analyte in blood, in particular for noninvasively determining an analyte in capillary blood.