NEUROLOGICALLY BASED NON-INVASIVE BLOOD GLUCOSE CONCENTRATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20130204152A1
• Filed: 02/06/2012
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Mathan, Santosh, Roth, Hans
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/544
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/378 Visual stimuli

Abstract

A non-invasive blood glucose concentration sensing system and method includes sensing neurophysiological brain activity of the user during visual pigment regeneration in an eye of the user, and correlating the sensed neurophysiological brain activity to the glucose concentration in the blood of the user.

Claims

1. A method for determining glucose concentration in the blood of a user, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing neurophysiological brain activity of the user during visual pigment regeneration in an eye of the user; and

correlating the sensed neurophysiological brain activity to the glucose concentration in the blood of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

bleaching retinal pigments in the eye of the user; and

after bleaching the retinal pigments, presenting a visual perceptual task to the user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

collecting psychometric data for the user; and

presenting the visual perceptual task based on the psychometric data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of presenting a visual perceptual task comprises displaying a sequence of images to the user, the sequence of images including a specific target.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying a plurality of sequences of images that each include the specific target.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the step of sensing neurophysiological brain activity of the user comprises sensing event-related potentials (ERPs); and

the method further comprises;

measuring amplitude and latency of peaks in the neurophysiological brain activity while the plurality of sequences of images are displayed; and

correlating changes in the amplitude and latency to visual pigment regeneration rate.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of presenting a visual perceptual task comprises displaying an image to the user, the image oscillating at a predetermined frequency.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the step of sensing neurophysiological brain activity of the user comprises sensing steady state visual evoked response potentials (SSVEPs); and

the method further comprises;

determining changes in amplitude of the SSVEPs at the predetermined frequency; and

correlating changes in the amplitude to visual pigment regeneration rate.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing baseline neurophysiological brain activity for the user;

sensing one or more environmental parameters; and

using the baseline neurophysiological brain activity and the one or more sensed environmental parameters to correlate the sensed neurophysiological brain activity to the glucose concentration in the blood of the user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an alert to remind the user to check blood glucose concentration.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating feedback representative of the glucose concentration in the blood of the user.

12. A method for determining glucose concentration in the blood of a user, the method comprising the steps of:

bleaching retinal pigments in the eye of the user to cause the eye to undergo retinal pigment regeneration;

presenting a visual perceptual task to the user during the retinal pigment regeneration;

sensing neurophysiological brain activity of the user while presenting the visual perceptual task; and

correlating the sensed neurophysiological brain activity to the glucose concentration in the blood of the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the step of presenting a visual perceptual task comprises displaying a plurality of sequences of images, each sequence of images including a specific target;

the step of sensing neurophysiological brain activity of the user comprises sensing event-related potentials (ERPs); and

the method further comprises;

measuring amplitude and latency of peaks in the neurophysiological brain activity while the plurality of sequences of images are displayed; and

correlating changes in the amplitude and latency to visual pigment regeneration rate.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the step of presenting a visual perceptual task comprises displaying an image to the user, the image oscillating at a predetermined frequency;

the step of sensing neurophysiological brain activity of the user comprises sensing steady state visual evoked response potentials (SSVEPs); and

the method further comprises;

determining changes in amplitude of the SSVEPs at the predetermined frequency; and

correlating changes in the amplitude to visual pigment regeneration rate.

15. A non-invasive blood glucose concentration sensing system, comprising:

a neurophysiological brain activity sensor configured to sense neurophysiological brain activity of a user and supply neurophysiological brain activity signals representative thereof; and

a processor coupled to receive the neurophysiological brain activity signals and configured, upon receipt thereof, to correlate the sensed neurophysiological brain activity to blood glucose concentration of the user.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a display device responsive to display commands to render images; and

a light source coupled to the processor and configured to selectively emit a bleaching light into an eye of the user to bleach retinal pigments in the eye,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

control emission of the bleaching light from the light source; and

after emission of the bleaching light from the light source, present a visual perceptual task to the user by commanding the display device to render a sequence of images to the user, the sequence of images including a specific target

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the neurophysiological brain activity sensor is configured to sense event-related potentials (ERPs); and

the processor is further configured to (i) command the display device to render a plurality of sequences of images that each include the specific target (ii) measure amplitude and latency of peaks in the neurophysiological brain activity while the plurality of sequences of images are displayed and (iii) correlate changes in the amplitude and latency to visual pigment regeneration rate.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the neurophysiological brain activity sensor is configured to sense steady state visual evoked response potentials (SSVEPs); and

the processor is further configured to present the visual perceptual task by commanding the display device to render an image oscillating at a predetermined frequency (ii) determine changes in amplitude of the SSVEPs at the predetermined frequency and (iii) correlate changes in the amplitude to visual pigment regeneration rate.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to generate an alert to remind the user to check blood glucose concentration.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to generate feedback representative of the glucose concentration in the blood of the user.