Noninvasive, Accurate Glucose Monitoring with OCT By Using Tissue Warming and Temperature Control

• US 20120289796A1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Esenaliev, Rinat O., Prough, Donald S.
• Application Number:
  US13/538,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289796A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/316
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0053 by applying pressure, e.g. compression, indentation, palpation, grasping, gauging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0073 by tomography, i.e. reconstruction of 3D images from 2D projections A61B5/0066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement

Abstract

A new OCT system and method are disclosed, where the system includes a probe equipped with a heating element and a high heat conductive member to warm a tissue site to be scanned to an elevated and/or to maintain the elevated tissue temperature with a temperature variation of less than or equal to 1° C. to improve an accuracy and reliability of an OCT glucose concentration value other long measurement durations. The new OCT system and method can also be equipped with pressure components to reduce a pressure exerted on the tissue site to a minimal constant pressure.

Claims

1. An optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe comprising:

a probe housing having a light path therethrough;

a temperature controller affixed to the housing, the temperature controller adapted to maintain a controlled tissue temperature with a temperature variation of less than or equal to 1°

C. at a tissue site during OCT scanning; and

a weight compensator affixed to the housing, the weight compensator adapted to maintain a constant minimal positive pressure exerted by the OCT probe against the tissue site during OCT scanning.

2. The probe of claim 1, wherein the controlled tissue temperature is a single temperature between about 33°

C. and 45°

C.

3. The probe of claim 1, wherein the temperature controller includes at least one metal plate comprising a high heat conductivity metal.

4. The probe of claim 3, wherein the temperature controller includes a heating element connected to the metal plate.

5. The probe of claim 1, wherein the temperature controller further includes a thermocouple.

6. The probe of claim 4, wherein the temperature controller includes at least one temperature isolator adapted to direct a majority of heat generated by the heating element to the tissue site.

7. The probe of claim 1, wherein the probe housing further comprises a transparent plate disposed across a plane of the probe that contacts the tissue site.

8. The probe of claim 1, wherein the probe housing further comprises a lens that directs a sample light beam through the light path to the tissue site.

9. The probe of claim 8, wherein the lens further collects light backscattered by the tissue site.

10. The probe of claim 1, wherein the constant minimal positive pressure is provided by a spring biased weight compensator.

11. The probe of claim 1, wherein the constant minimal positive pressure is provided by a weight compensator comprising a stationary pivot.

12. The probe of claim 1, wherein the constant minimal positive pressure is less than about 0.1 kPa.

13. The probe of claim 1, wherein the constant minimal positive pressure is less than about 0.01 kPa.

14. An optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus adapted to measure glucose concentration in a tissue site comprising:

an OCT system including a light source and an optical subsystem adapted to produce a plurality of reference and sample beams from the light source and analyze interferometric signals generated by combining the reference beams with backscattered light from a plurality of contiguous single depth C-scans of the sample beam across a tissue site; and

an OCT probe in optical communication with the OCT system, wherein the OCT probe includes a probe housing having a light path through and a temperature controller affixed to the probe housing, the temperature controller adapted to maintain a single controlled tissue temperature with a temperature variation of less than or equal to 1°

C. at a tissue site during collection of data from the plurality of contiguous single depth C-scans across a tissue site.

15. The optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a weight compensator affixed to the probe housing, the weight compensator adapted to maintain a constant minimal positive pressure exerted by the OCT probe against the tissue site during OCT scanning.

16. The optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus of claim 14, wherein the temperature controller includes a metal plate in electrical communications with a heating element and a thermocouple.

17. The optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus of claim 16, wherein the optical subsystem conveys the reference beams, sample beams and backscattered light through fiber optics.

18. The optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus of claim 17, wherein the temperature controller includes at least one temperature isolator adapted to direct a majority of heat generated by the heating element to the tissue site.

19. The optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus of claim 15, wherein the constant minimal positive pressure is provided by a spring biased weight compensator.

20. The optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus of claim 15, wherein the constant minimal positive pressure is provided by a weight compensator comprising a stationary pivot.