Non-invasive qualitative measurement of chemistry of blood and bodily fluids

• US 8,022,366 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roc8sci Co.
• Original Assignee: Frank Hartley
• Inventors: Hartley, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOOSALIS, FANI POLYZOS
• Application Number:
  US12/157,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20090242771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 250/340, 250/338.1, 250/339.07, 250/339.03, 250/339.04, 356/222
• US Class Current: 250/340
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6816 Ear lobe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6825 Hand
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0259 Monolithic
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/26 using multiple reflection, e.g. Fabry-Perot interferometer, variable interference filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2803 using photoelectric array detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/34 using capacitors, e.g. pyroelectric capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3144 for oxymetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/35 using infrared light G01N21/39 takes precedence

Abstract

Mid-IR spectrometer with no moving parts, which is small and compact, low power consuming, and can monitor blood sugar (glucose) and other blood and bodily fluid analytes on a continuing basis. It has many applications in the health, forensic, environmental and other areas.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting mid-IR spectra, comprising:

a surface micro-machined low mass thermal emitter wherein the emitter is electrically pulsed and emits electromagnetic radiation including the mid-IR, 2.5 to 12.5 μ

m;

a set of quarter-wavelength plates of a mid-IR transmitting material wherein the thickness of the plates progressively increases from a quarter wavelength of 2.5 μ

m on a first end of the set of quarter-wavelength plates to a quarter wavelength of 12.5 μ

m at a second end of the set of quarter wavelength plates wherein the set of plates acts as a dispersive spectroscope element in the mid-IR;

a set of detector elements wherein each element responds to heating at its location wherein each element'"'"'s location corresponds to a given member of a set of dispersed radiation in the mid-IR wherein a heated element is disposed to rise from a substrate when heated; and

wherein each of the set of detector elements forms a capacitor with the substrate and its energy absorption at its dispersed wavelength location is measurable wherein the capacitance relative to the substrate is changed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

detector elements having bimetallic legs wherein the heating of a detector element blackened flat plate absorbs mid-IR radiation and transfers energy in a thermal form by conduction to its legs wherein the bimetallic legs are disposed to move so as to lift the blackened electrically and thermally conductive plate away from the substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the substrate on which the detector elements are attached, the substrate containing a plurality of embedded electronic circuits; and

the embedded electronic circuits disposed to monitor and transmit capacitive changes from a changed height above the substrate of a detector plate element.

4. An apparatus for spectrally analyzing mid-IR electromagnetic radiation, comprising:

a surface micro-machined low mass thermal emitter wherein the emitter is electrically pulsed and emits electromagnetic radiation including the mid-IR, 2.5 to 12.5 μ

m; and

a set of quarter-wavelength plates of a mid-IR transmitting material wherein the thickness of the plates progressively increases from a quarter wavelength of 2.5 μ

m on a first end of the set of quarter-wavelength plates to a quarter wavelength of 12.5 μ

m at a second end of the set of quarter wavelength plates wherein the set of plates acts as a dispersive spectroscope element in the mid-IR; and

a set of detector elements wherein each element responds to heating at its location wherein each element'"'"'s location corresponds to a given member of a set of dispersed radiation in the mid-IR wherein a heated element is disposed to rise from a substrate when heated; and

give rise to a measurable change in relative capacitance.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

detector elements for detecting a plurality of energies at different mid-IR wavelengths emerging from the set of quarter wavelength plates.

6. A method for measuring spectra in the mid-IR, comprising:

emitting a pulse of mid-IR containing electromagnetic radiation by electrically pulse heating a very low mass surface micro-machined metal element;

dispersing the mid-IR electromagnetic energy into varying wave-lengths by a set of quarter wave filter elements;

forming the dispersing set of quarter wave filter elements wherein a first end of the elongated quarter wavelength filters starts as a quarter wave-length thickness of the wave-length 2.5 μ

m and wherein a second end of the elongated quarter wave-length filters starts as a quarter wave-length thickness of the wavelength of 12.5 μ

m; and

wherein the thicknesses of the quarter wave filter elements vary continuously between these two specific end point quarter wave-lengths;

detecting the energy in the various dispersed wave-lengths by a detector;

varying the capacitance of the detector using a blackened thermal and electrically conducting plate supported by bimetallic legs so as to vary the capacitance of the detector by varying the distance between a substrate and the blackened conducting plate according to the energy transferred to the bimetallic legs;

disposing the legs of the detector wherein the shape of the legs responds to heating so as to lift up the detector plate; and

measuring the capacitive change by electronics embedded in the substrate.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

communicating the results of the measurement of the spectral energies by an embedded transmitter;

controlling an insulin pump according a program stored on an electronic memory device wherein the insulin dosage is according to medical advice.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

communicating the results of the measurement of the spectral energies by activating a cell phone;

collecting the measurement data in a remote central data collection place.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

measuring a set of analytes simultaneously present in a mid-IR responsive sample;

utilizing pre-measured individual spectra;

pre-analyzing the mixtures of different analytes according to multi-variate analysis;

retaining a combination template in an electronic memory;

comparing the results of measuring the various energies present at different wavelengths; and

estimating the composition of the unknown sample by utilizing combination templates.

10. An apparatus for detecting mid-IR electromagnetic radiation, comprising:

detector elements having bimetallic legs wherein the heating of a detector element blackened flat plate absorbs mid-IR radiation and transfers energy in a thermal form by conduction to its legs wherein the bimetallic legs are disposed to move so as to lift the blackened electrically and thermally conductive plate away from a substrate, and wherein the bimetallic legs comprise a first material that is a high thermal conductance material, and further wherein the bimetallic legs and the substrate are thermally coupled;

the substrate on which the detector elements are attached, the substrate containing a plurality of embedded electronic circuits; and

the embedded electronic circuits disposed to monitor and transmit capacitive changes from a changed height above the substrate of a detector plate element.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a surface micro-machined low mass thermal emitter wherein the emitter is electrically pulsed and emits electromagnetic radiation including the mid-IR, 2.5 to 12.5 μ

m;

a set of quarter-wavelength plates of a mid-IR transmitting material wherein the thickness of the plates progressively increases from a quarter wavelength of 2.5 μ

m on a first end of the set of quarter-wave plates to a quarter wavelength of 12.5 μ

m at a second end of the set of quarter wavelength plates wherein the set of plates acts as a dispersive spectroscope element in the mid-IR.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a set of quarter-wavelength plates of a mid-IR transmitting material wherein the thickness of the plates progressively increases from a quarter wavelength of 2.5 μ

m on a first end of the set of quarter-wave plates to a quarter wavelength of 12.5 μ

m at a second end of the set of quarter wavelength plates wherein the set of plates acts as a dispersive element in the mid-IR;

an imaging lens in front of the set of quarter-wavelength plates;

the set of quarter wave plates extending in a second direction, perpendicular to both a linear detector array and a line from the center of the lens to a center of a two-dimensional detector array wherein an image formed by an imaging lens onto the two-dimensional detector array wherein the apparatus performs as a hyperspectrometer.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a detection apparatus for bacteria residing in a mouth of a human being, said human explicitly not being part of the invention.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a detection apparatus for viruses residing in a mouth of a human being, said human explicitly not being part of the invention.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a detection apparatus for pathogen antibodies residing in a mouth of a human being, said human explicitly not being part of the invention.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a detection apparatus for pathogen-specific organic molecules residing in a mouth of a human being, said human explicitly not being part of the invention.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a detection apparatus for cocaine.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a detection apparatus for glucose.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a detection apparatus for bilirubin.

20. An apparatus for detecting mid-IR spectra, comprising:

a surface micro-machined low mass thermal emitter wherein the emitter is electrically pulsed and emits electromagnetic radiation including the mid-IR, 2.5 to 12.5 μ

m;

a set of quarter-wavelength plates of a mid-IR transmitting material wherein the thickness of the quarter-wavelength plates progressively increases from a quarter wavelength of 2.5 μ

m on a first end of the set of quarter-wavelength plates to a quarter wavelength of 12.5 μ

m at a second end of the set of quarter-wavelength plates wherein the set of quarter-wavelength plates acts as a dispersive spectroscope element in the mid-IR;

a set of detector elements wherein each element responds to heating at its location wherein each element'"'"'s location corresponds to a given member of a set of dispersed radiation in the mid-IR wherein a heated element is disposed to rise from a substrate when heated; and

the displaced heated element forms a capacitor with the substrate and its energy absorption at its dispersed wavelength location is measurable wherein the capacitance relative to the substrate is changed;

wherein each of the detector elements comprises bimetallic legs wherein the heating of a detector element blackened flat plate absorbs mid-IR radiation and transfers energy in a thermal form by conduction to its legs wherein the bimetallic legs are disposed to move so as to lift the blackened electrically and thermally conductive plate away from the substrate; and

the substrate, the substrate comprising the detector elements and a plurality of embedded electronic circuits, each of the embedded electronic circuits being disposed to monitor and transmit capacitive changes from a height change of one of the detector plate elements above the substrate.