Non-invasive in situ glucose level sensing using electromagnetic radiation
AssigneeAdvantest Corporation
InventorYang Shang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
System and method of using electromagnetic radiation signals to non-invasively test a glucose level in a subject. During operation, an incident beam of Terahertz waves is generated and projected onto the surface of the eyeball, which is naturally reflected by a tear layer. The reflected Terahertz waves are detected and characterized to determine the reflection characteristics of the tear layer, e.g., an axial ratio of reflection coefficients in two polarization orientations. Provided with the determined axial ratio and according to a predetermined correlation among axial ratio, tear glucose level and blood glucose level, the current blood glucose level in the subject can be derived and presented to a user.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a positioning assembly configured to detect a position of an eyeball of a subject in proximity therewith;
- a transmitting assembly configured to generate an incident beam of electromagnetic waves;
- a receiving assembly configured to detect a reflected beam of electromagnetic waves in two orthogonal polarization orientations produced by said incident beam reflected from an outer surface of said eyeball;
- and
- processing logic coupled to said transmitting assembly and said receiving assembly and configured to determine a glucose level in said subject based on characteristics of said incident beam and said reflected beam and further based on a predetermined correlation between a tear glucose level and a blood glucose level.
A portable device for sensing glucose levels, said portable device comprising:
- a transmitting assembly configured to generate first electromagnetic waves;
- a receiving assembly configured to detect second electromagnetic waves in two orthogonal polarization orientations originated by said first electromagnetic waves being reflected from a tear layer covering an outer surface of an eyeball of a subject proximate to said portable device;
- processing logic coupled to said transmitting assembly and said receiving assembly and configured to:
- determine reflection characteristics in two orthogonal polarization orientations of said tear layer with respect to said first electromagnetic waves;
- and
- automatically determine a glucose level in said subject based on said reflection characteristics and further based on a predetermined correlation between a tear glucose level and a blood glucose level, and
- a housing enclosing said transmitting assembly, said receiving assembly and said processing logic.
A system comprising:
- a generator configured to generate incident Terahertz waves at a first location;
- a detector configured to detect reflected Terahertz waves in two orthogonal polarization orientations at a second location, wherein said reflected Terahertz waves are produced by said incident Terahertz waves being reflected from a tear layer covering an eyeball of a subject;
- a processor coupled to said generator and said detector;
- and
- a memory coupled to said processor and comprising instructions that, when executed by said processor, perform a method of:
- automatically determining reflection characteristics in two orthogonal polarization orientations of said tear layer with respect to said incident Terahertz waves;
- and
- determining a glucose level in said subject based on said reflection characteristics according to a predetermined correlation between said reflection characteristics and a tear glucose level and further based on a predetermined correlation between said tear glucose level and a blood glucose level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.