Solid-state non-invasive thermal cycling spectrometer

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissues, the device comprising in operative combination:

• a layered window assembly having a plurality of infrared transmissive element means for inducing a temperature gradient in said sample tissue, said infrared transmissive element means including a heating element, a cooling element, and a thermal insulating element;
• the thermal insulating element in operative combination with said heating element and said cooling element;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissue by measuring sample infrared spectral emissions, the device comprising:

• an infrared transmissive window assembly;
• a heating element means and a cooling element means each being positioned for heating and cooling the sample tissue, respectively, wherein the heating element means is part of the infrared transmissive window assembly;
• an infrared radiation detector assembly positioned such that the infrared spectral emissions from the sample tissue pass through the infrared transmissive window assembly onto a detector;
• and
• an infrared transmissive thermally insulating element positioned between said heating element means and said cooling element means.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissue by measuring sample infrared spectral emissions, the device comprising:

• an infrared transmissive window assembly;
• a heating element means and a cooling element means each being positioned for heating and cooling the sample tissue, respectively, wherein said cooling element means further comprises a heat sink;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly positioned such that the infrared spectral emissions from the sample tissue pass through the infrared transmissive window assembly onto a detector.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissue by measuring sample infrared spectral emissions, the device comprising:

• an infrared transmissive window assembly;
• a heating element means and a cooling element means each being positioned for heating and cooling the sample tissue, respectively;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly that is (a) positioned such that the infrared spectral emissions from the sample tissue pass through the infrared transmissive window assembly onto a detector and (b) optimized to detect only selected infrared spectral emissions from said sample tissue.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissue by measuring sample infrared spectral emissions, the device comprising:

• an infrared transmissive window assembly;
• a heating element means and a cooling element means each (a) being positioned for heating and cooling the sample tissue, respectively, and (b) configured to induce one of a time varying temperature gradient or a periodically time varying temperature gradient;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly positioned such that the infrared spectral emissions from the sample tissue pass through the infrared transmissive window assembly onto a detector.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissues by measuring sample infrared spectral emissions, the device comprising:

• an infrared transmissive window assembly;
• a means for heating and cooling the sample tissues, wherein the heating and cooling means:
• is positioned to heat and cool the sample tissue,
• is part of the infrared transmissive window assembly, and
• comprises a heat sink;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly positioned such that the infrared spectral emissions from the sample tissue pass through the infrared transmissive window assembly onto a detector.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissues by measuring sample infrared spectral emissions, the device comprising:

• an infrared transmissive window assembly;
• a means for heating and cooling the sample tissues, the heating and cooling means being positioned to heat and cool the same tissue;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly that is (a) positioned such that the infrared spectral emissions from the sample tissue pass through the infrared transmissive window assembly onto a detector and (b) optimized for the detection of glucose in said sample tissue.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissues by measuring sample infrared spectral emissions, the device comprising:

• an infrared transmissive window assembly;
• a means for heating and cooling the sample tissues, the heating and cooling means being positioned to heat and cool the sample tissue such that the heating and cooling means induces one of a time varying temperature gradient or a periodically time varying temperature gradient;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly positioned such that the infrared spectral emissions from the sample tissue pass through the infrared transmissive window assembly onto a detector.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissues, the device generating a thermal gradient in the tissue and measuring infrared spectra to make determinations of analyte concentration, the device comprising in operative combination:

• a layered window assembly having a plurality of infrared transmissive elements;
• a means for inducing a temperature gradient in the sample tissue, wherein the gradient inducing means:
• is in operative combination with the window assembly,
• is in thermal communication with the sample tissue, and
• induces one of a time varying temperature gradient or a periodically time varying temperature gradient;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly in operative combination with the window.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissues, the device generating a thermal gradient in the tissue and measuring infrared spectra to make determinations of analyte concentration, the device comprising in operative combination:

• a layered window assembly having a plurality of infrared transmissive elements;
• a means for inducing a temperature gradient in the sample tissue, wherein the gradient inducing means:
• is in operative combination with the window assembly,
• is in thermal communication with the sample tissue,
• includes an infrared transmissive heating element and a cooling element, and
• includes an infrared transmissive thermal insulating element positioned to provide thermal insulation between said heating element and said cooling element;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly in operative combination with the window.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissues, the device generating a thermal gradient in the tissue and measuring infrared spectra to make determinations of analyte concentration, the device comprising in operative combination:

• a layered window assembly having a plurality of infrared transmissive elements;
• a means for inducing a temperature gradient in the sample tissue, wherein the gradient inducing means:
• is in operative combination with the window assembly,
• is in thermal communication with the sample tissue, and
• includes an infrared transmissive heating element and a cooling element
• that includes a heat sink;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly in operative combination with the window.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissues, the device generating a thermal gradient in the tissue and measuring infrared spectra to make determinations of analyte concentration, the device comprising in operative combination:

• a layered window assembly having a plurality of infrared transmissive elements;
• a means for inducing a temperature gradient in the sample tissue, wherein the gradient inducing means:
• is in operative combination with the window assembly,
• is in thermal communication with the sample tissue, and
• includes an infrared transmissive heating element and a cooling element;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly in operative combination with the window,
• wherein the plurality of infrared transmissive elements include a thermally conductive spreader layer that is positioned between the sample tissue and the heating element and that is formed of a float zone silicon material.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissues, the device generating a thermal gradient in the tissue and measuring infrared spectra to make determinations of analyte concentration, the device comprising in operative combination:

• a layered window assembly having a plurality of infrared transmissive elements;
• a means for inducing a temperature gradient in the sample tissue, wherein the gradient inducing means:
• is in operative combination with the window assembly,
• is in thermal communication with the sample tissue, and
• includes an infrared transmissive heating element and a cooling element;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly in operative combination with the window, wherein the plurality of infrared transmissive elements include a thermally conductive spreader layer that is positioned between the sample tissue and the heating element and that is formed of a chemical vapor deposited diamond material.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissues, the device generating a thermal gradient in the tissue and measuring infrared spectra to make determinations of analyte concentration, the device comprising in operative combination:

• a layered window assembly having a plurality of infrared transmissive elements;
• a means for inducing a temperature gradient in the sample tissue, wherein the gradient inducing means:
• is in operative combination with the window assembly,
• is in thermal communication with the sample tissue, and
• includes an infrared transmissive heating element and a cooling element;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly in operative combination with the window, wherein the plurality of infrared transmissive elements include a thermally conductive spreader layer that is positioned between the sample tissue and the heating element and that includes a top side having a protective layer formed thereon.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissues, the device generating a thermal gradient in the tissue and measuring infrared spectra to make determinations of analyte concentration, the device comprising in operative combination:

• a layered window assembly having a plurality of infrared transmissive elements:
• a means for inducing a temperature gradient in the sample tissue, the gradient inducing means in operation combination with the window assembly and in thermal communication with the sample tissue;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly in operative combination with the window,
• wherein said infrared radiation detector assembly includes a plurality of discrete infrared bandpass filters and detectors.

A device for determining analyte concentrations within sample tissues, the device generating a thermal gradient in the tissue and measuring infrared spectra to make determinations of analyte concentration, the device comprising in operative combination:

• a layered window assembly having a plurality of infrared transmissive elements;
• a means for inducing a temperature gradient in the sample tissue, the gradient inducing means in operation combination with the window assembly and in thermal communication with the sample tissue;
• and
• an infrared radiation detector assembly in operative combination with the window,
• wherein said infrared radiation detector assembly further comprises a high reflectance scrambler.

A method for making a device for generating a thermal gradient in a sample tissue and measuring infrared spectra to determine analyte concentrations in the sample, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a layered window assembly having a plurality of infrared transmissive elements, wherein the plurality of infrared transmissive elements includes an infrared transmissive thermal insulating element;
• providing a means for inducing a temperature gradient, the gradient inducing means in operative combination with the window;
• providing an infrared radiation detector in operative combination with the window;
• and
• providing a signal processing system in operative combination with the radiation detector.