Tear film osmometry

A sample receiving chip comprising:

• a substrate that receives an aliquot volume of a sample fluid;
• a sample region of the substrate, sized such that the volume of the sample fluid is sufficient to operatively cover a portion of the sample region, whereupon energy properties of the sample fluid can be detected from the sample region to produce a sample fluid reading, wherein the sample fluid reading indicates osmolarity of the sample fluid;
• wherein the sample region includes a plurality of electrodes disposed to contact the sample;
• further comprising a plurality of conductive connection lines coupled to the plurality of electrodes, wherein the conductive connection lines provide means for transferring energy to and from the sample fluid;
• further comprising a processing unit configured to receive energy properties of the sample fluid from the plurality of conductive connection lines, wherein the processing unit processes the received energy properties and outputs the osmolarity of the sample fluid;
• wherein the processing unit includes a neural network trained to efficiently combine the received energy properties of the sample fluid.

An osmolarity measuring system for measuring osmolarity of a sample fluid, the system comprising:

• a measurement device comprising a sample receiving chip that includes a substrate having a sample region configured to contact the sample fluid to measure energy properties of the sample fluid, wherein the region is sized to be substantially covered by an aliquot volume of the sample fluid;
• and
• a processing device coupled to the measurement device, the processing device configured to receive the measured energy properties and to process and estimate the osmolarity of the sample fluid from the processed energy properties;
• wherein the processing device includes a base unit configured to enclose the measurement device.

An osmolarity measuring system for measuring osmolarity of a sample fluid, the system comprising:

• a measurement device comprising a sample receiving chip that includes a substrate having a sample region configured to contact the sample fluid to measure energy properties of the sample fluid, wherein the region is sized to be substantially covered by an aliquot volume of the sample fluid;
• and
• a processing device coupled to the measurement device, the processing device configured to receive the measured energy properties and to process and estimate the osmolarity of the sample fluid from the processed energy properties;
• further comprising:
• a collection device configured to collect an appropriate amount of the sample fluid and dispense the sample fluid on the region of the substrate.

An osmolarity measuring system for measuring osmolarity of a sample fluid, the system comprising:

• a measurement device comprising a sample receiving chip that includes a substrate having a sample region configured to contact the sample fluid to measure energy properties of the sample fluid, wherein the region is sized to be substantially covered by an aliquot volume of the sample fluid;
• and
• a processing device coupled to the measurement device, the processing device configured to receive the measured energy properties and to process and estimate the osmolarity of the sample fluid from the processed energy properties;
• wherein the measurement device includes a plurality of electrodes;
• and
• wherein each electrode includes a dielectric perimeter to protect field densities at the edge of the electrode.

An osmolarity measuring system for measuring osmolarity of a sample fluid, the system comprising:

• a measurement device comprising a sample receiving chip that includes a substrate having a sample region configured to contact the sample fluid to measure energy properties of the sample fluid, wherein the region is sized to be substantially covered by an aliquot volume of the sample fluid;
• and
• a processing device coupled to the measurement device, the processing device configured to receive the measured energy properties and to process and estimate the osmolarity of the sample fluid from the processed energy properties;
• wherein the measurement device includes a plurality of electrodes;
• and
• wherein the measurement device further includes on-chip temperature sensors.

An osmolarity measuring system for measuring osmolarity of a sample fluid, the system comprising:

• a measurement device comprising a sample receiving chip that includes a substrate having a sample region configured to contact the sample fluid to measure energy properties of the sample fluid, wherein the region is sized to be substantially covered by an aliquot volume of the sample fluid;
• and
• a processing device coupled to the measurement device, the processing device configured to receive the measured energy properties and to process and estimate the osmolarity of the sample fluid from the processed energy properties;
• wherein the measurement device includes a plurality of nano-scale spheres that fluoresce with exposure to sample fluid of varying osmolarity.

An osmolarity measuring system for measuring osmolarity of a sample fluid, the system comprising:

• a measurement device comprising a sample receiving chip that includes a substrate having a sample region configured to contact the sample fluid to measure energy properties of the sample fluid, wherein the region is sized to be substantially covered by an aliquot volume of the sample fluid;
• and
• a processing device coupled to the measurement device, the processing device configured to receive the measured energy properties and to process and estimate the osmolarity of the sample fluid from the processed energy properties;
• wherein the substrate includes a probe card.

An optical measuring system for measuring osmolarity of a sample fluid, the system comprising:

• a sample-receiving chip comprising a substrate adapted to receive the sample fluid, wherein the substrate includes a sample region that is sized to be operatively covered by an aliquot volume of the sample fluid;
• an optical energy source that illuminates the sample region containing the sample fluid;
• and
• an optical detector that receives optical energy from the illuminated sample region and processes the received optical energy to determine optical properties of the sample fluid and estimate the osmolarity of the sample fluid;
• further comprising:
• a plurality of nano-scale spheres disposed on the measurement region, the nano-scale spheres coated with chemicals whose fluorescence varies with exposure to sample fluid of varying osmolarity.

An optical measuring system for measuring osmolarity of a sample fluid, the system comprising:

• a sample-receiving chip comprising a substrate adapted to receive the sample fluid, wherein the substrate includes a sample region that is sized to be operatively covered by an aliquot volume of the sample fluid;
• an optical energy source that illuminates the sample region containing the sample fluid;
• and
• an optical detector that receives optical energy from the illuminated sample region and processes the received optical energy to determine optical properties of the sample fluid and estimate the osmolarity of the sample fluid;
• wherein the optical source includes a laser.

An optical measuring system for measuring osmolarity of a sample fluid, the system comprising:

• a sample-receiving chip comprising a substrate adapted to receive the sample fluid, wherein the substrate includes a sample region that is sized to be operatively covered by an aliquot volume of the sample fluid;
• an optical energy source that illuminates the sample region containing the sample fluid;
• and
• an optical detector that receives optical energy from the illuminated sample region and processes the received optical energy to determine optical properties of the sample fluid and estimate the osmolarity of the sample fluid;
• wherein the optical detector includes a charge-coupled device (CCD).

A method for determining osmolarity value of sample fluid comprising:

• depositing an aliquot volume of the sample fluid on a sample region of a substrate;
• measuring energy properties of the sample fluid;
• and
• processing the measured energy properties to provide the osmolarity value of the sample fluid;
• wherein measuring energy properties includes providing a plurality of electrodes on the region of the substrate, and bringing the sample fluid in contact with the plurality of electrodes;
• further comprising applying current to the sample fluid through the plurality of electrodes;
• wherein applying current includes selectively applying current to different sets of electrode pairs to determine a physical extent of the sample fluid.

A method for determining osmolarity value of sample fluid comprising:

• depositing an aliquot volume of the sample fluid on a sample region of a substrate;
• measuring energy properties of the sample fluid;
• and
• processing the measured energy properties to provide the osmolarity value of the sample fluid;
• wherein measuring energy properties includes providing a plurality of electrodes on the region of the substrate, and bringing the sample fluid in contact with the plurality of electrodes;
• further comprising applying current to the sample fluid through the plurality of electrodes;
• wherein processing includes applying sufficient current to the plurality of electrodes to render them inoperable for a subsequent measurement cycle.

A method for determining osmolarity value of sample fluid comprising:

• depositing an aliquot volume of the sample fluid on a sample region of a substrate;
• measuring energy properties of the sample fluid;
• and
• processing the measured energy properties to provide the osmolarity value of the sample fluid;
• wherein processing the measured energy properties includes configuring a neural network to train on a collection of empirically determined variables of interest derived from the measured energy properties, such that the neural network configuration enables optimal prediction of the osmolarity value from a most efficient combination of variables of interest.

A method for determining osmolarity value of sample fluid comprising:

• depositing an aliquot volume of the sample fluid on a sample region of a substrate;
• measuring energy properties of the sample fluid;
• and
• processing the measured energy properties to provide the osmolarity value of the sample fluid;
• wherein measuring the energy properties is independent of the volume of sample fluid deposited on the sample region of the substrate.

A method for determining osmolarity value of sample fluid comprising:

• depositing an aliquot volume of the sample fluid on a sample region of a substrate;
• measuring energy properties of the sample fluid;
• and
• processing the measured energy properties to provide the osmolarity value of the sample fluid;
• wherein measuring the energy properties includes:
• providing optical nanospheres, coated with material that fluoresces in accordance with osmolarity, on the sample region of the substrate;
• illuminating the nanospheres with an energy source;
• and
• detecting fluorescence of the nanospheres in the sample fluid with an optical receiving device.

A method for determining osmolarity value of sample fluid comprising:

• depositing an aliquot volume of the sample fluid on a sample region of a substrate;
• measuring energy properties of the sample fluid;
• and
• processing the measured energy properties to provide the osmolarity value of the sample fluid;
• wherein measuring the energy properties includes:
• providing the substrate and sample region with appropriate thermal energy to solidify the sample fluid;
• detecting the temperature at which the conductivity of the sample fluid changes in correlation to the aforementioned solidifying as a result of the applied energy.

A method for determining osmolarity value of sample fluid comprising:

• depositing an aliquot volume of the sample fluid on a sample region of a substrate;
• measuring energy properties of the sample fluid;
• and
• processing the measured energy properties to provide the osmolarity value of the sample fluid;
• further comprising collecting an appropriate amount of the sample fluid;
• wherein collecting an appropriate amount of the sample fluid comprises collecting the sample fluid in a collection device and wherein measuring energy properties comprises measuring with a measuring device that is separate from the collection device.