NEAR-INFRARED LASERS FOR NON-INVASIVE MONITORING OF GLUCOSE, KETONES, HBA1C, AND OTHER BLOOD CONSTITUENTS
First Claim
1. A diagnostic system comprising:
- a light source configured to generate an output optical beam, comprising;
one or more semiconductor sources configured to generate an input beam;
one or more optical amplifiers configured to receive at least a portion of the input beam and to deliver an intermediate beam to an output end of the one or more optical amplifiers;
one or more optical fibers configured to receive at least a portion of the intermediate beam and to deliver at least the portion of the intermediate beam to a distal end of the one or more optical fibers to form a first optical beam;
a nonlinear element configured to receive at least a portion of the first optical beam and to broaden a spectrum associated with the at least a portion of the first optical beam to at least 10 nanometers through a nonlinear effect in the nonlinear element to form the output optical beam with an output beam broadened spectrum; and
wherein at least a portion of the output beam broadened spectrum comprises a short-wave infrared wavelength between approximately 1400 nanometers and approximately 2500 nanometers, and wherein at least a portion of the one of more fibers is a fused silica fiber with a core diameter less than approximately 400 microns;
an interface device configured to receive a received portion of the output optical beam and to deliver a delivered portion of the output optical beam to a sample, wherein the delivered portion of the output optical beam is configured to generate a spectroscopy output beam from the sample; and
a receiver configured to receive at least a portion of the spectroscopy output beam having a bandwidth of at least 10 nanometers and to process the portion of the spectroscopy output beam to generate an output signal representing at least in part a property of hydro-carbon bonds.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Non-invasive monitoring of blood constituents such as glucose, ketones, or hemoglobin A1c may be accomplished using near-infrared or short-wave infrared (SWIR) light sources through absorbance, diffuse reflection, or transmission spectroscopy. As an example, hydro-carbon related substances such as glucose or ketones have distinct spectral features in the SWIR between approximately 1500 and 2500 nm. An SWIR super-continuum laser based on laser diodes and fiber optics may be used as the light source for the non-invasive monitoring. Light may be transmitted or reflected through a tooth, since an intact tooth and its enamel and dentine may be nearly transparent in the SWIR. Blood constituents or analytes within the capillaries in the dental pulp may be detected. The non-invasive monitoring device may communicate with a device such as a smart phone or tablet, which may transmit a signal related to the measurement to the cloud with cloud-based value-added services.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A diagnostic system comprising:
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a light source configured to generate an output optical beam, comprising; one or more semiconductor sources configured to generate an input beam; one or more optical amplifiers configured to receive at least a portion of the input beam and to deliver an intermediate beam to an output end of the one or more optical amplifiers; one or more optical fibers configured to receive at least a portion of the intermediate beam and to deliver at least the portion of the intermediate beam to a distal end of the one or more optical fibers to form a first optical beam; a nonlinear element configured to receive at least a portion of the first optical beam and to broaden a spectrum associated with the at least a portion of the first optical beam to at least 10 nanometers through a nonlinear effect in the nonlinear element to form the output optical beam with an output beam broadened spectrum; and wherein at least a portion of the output beam broadened spectrum comprises a short-wave infrared wavelength between approximately 1400 nanometers and approximately 2500 nanometers, and wherein at least a portion of the one of more fibers is a fused silica fiber with a core diameter less than approximately 400 microns; an interface device configured to receive a received portion of the output optical beam and to deliver a delivered portion of the output optical beam to a sample, wherein the delivered portion of the output optical beam is configured to generate a spectroscopy output beam from the sample; and a receiver configured to receive at least a portion of the spectroscopy output beam having a bandwidth of at least 10 nanometers and to process the portion of the spectroscopy output beam to generate an output signal representing at least in part a property of hydro-carbon bonds. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A measurement system comprising:
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a light source generating an output optical beam, comprising; a plurality of semiconductor sources generating an input optical beam; a multiplexer configured to receive at least a portion of the input optical beam and to form an intermediate optical beam; and one or more fibers configured to receive at least a portion of the intermediate optical beam and to form the output optical beam, wherein the output optical beam comprises one or more optical wavelengths; an interface device configured to receive a received portion of the output optical beam and to deliver a delivered portion of the output optical beam to a sample comprising at least in part enamel, dentine and pulp, wherein the delivered portion of the output optical beam is configured to generate a spectroscopy output beam from the sample; and a receiver configured to receive at least a portion of the spectroscopy output beam and to process the portion of the spectroscopy output beam to generate an output signal representing at least in part a property of blood contained within the pulp. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of measuring comprising:
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generating an output optical beam, comprising; generating an input optical beam from a plurality of semiconductor sources; multiplexing at least a portion of the input optical beam and forming an intermediate optical beam; and guiding at least a portion of the intermediate optical beam and forming the output optical beam, wherein the output optical beam comprises one or more optical wavelengths; receiving a received portion of the output optical beam and delivering a delivered portion of the output optical beam to a sample, wherein the sample comprises at least in part enamel, dentine and pulp; generating a spectroscopy output beam from the sample; receiving at least a portion of the spectroscopy output beam; and processing the portion of the spectroscopy output beam and generating an output signal representing at least in part a property of blood contained within the pulp. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification