Non-Invasive Optical Glucometer Using Eye Mid-Infrared Emissions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring blood glucose levels in diabetics are invasive, uncomfortable, and often not performed frequently enough due to discomfort, leading to poor glucose control and increased risk of complications.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive optical method using mid-infrared emissions from the eye to detect blood glucose levels, involving a thermographic imaging device and computing system that captures and processes images of the eye to correlate mid-infrared emissions with standardized glucose values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If invasive blood glucose testing methods are used, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to discomfort and inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/invasive fingerstick testing system with an optical detection system that uses mid-infrared emissions from the eye. The thermographic imaging device captures thermal emissions without physical contact or discomfort to the patient, while the computing device processes these emissions to determine glucose levels, thereby eliminating the pain and inconvenience of traditional invasive methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses mid-infrared thermal emissions from the eye as an intermediary to indirectly measure blood glucose levels. Instead of directly sampling blood, the system detects thermal radiation that carries glucose concentration information, allowing non-invasive measurement while maintaining accuracy through the intermediary thermal signal.
2Reliability
If invasive testing methods are used, then measurement reliability is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to limited testing frequency
Solution Approach 1:
The replacement of invasive mechanical testing with non-invasive optical detection enables much higher testing frequencies. Since the optical method causes no discomfort or tissue damage, patients can be tested multiple times per day or even continuously, providing more reliable glucose control data without the limitations of invasive methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous or near-continuous monitoring of blood glucose levels through repeated optical measurements. The system can capture thermal emissions continuously from the eye, providing an uninterrupted stream of glucose data that improves reliability of glucose control compared to discrete invasive tests.
3Ease of operation
If optical methods are used to detect glucose, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to specialized infrared detection requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The thermographic imaging device used in the patent is a multi-functional instrument that can detect thermal emissions for various applications, not solely for glucose measurement. By utilizing this existing capability for glucose detection, the system avoids the need for entirely new specialized equipment, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a computing device to process and interpret thermal emission patterns, creating a digital representation of glucose concentration from the optical data. This computational approach simplifies the overall system by using standard computing hardware rather than requiring complex dedicated measurement instruments.
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
Enables fast, reliable, and frequent monitoring of blood glucose levels without discomfort, potentially reducing complications associated with poor glucose control.
Implementation Method 1
passively quantifying mid-infrared emissions from the eye of the subject
Implementation Method 2
a thermographic imaging device configured to capture mid-infrared (MIR) electromagnetic emissions
Implementation Method 3
correct the average radiance value for the pixel region of interest based on a temperature of the subject's eye at the time of image capture
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are devices and methods for detecting blood glucose levels in a subject that involve passively quantifying mid-infrared emissions from the eye of the subject.