Non-invasive polarimetric apparatus and method for analyte sensing in birefringent media
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A noninvasive polarimetric apparatus used to measure levels of a substance in a sample, in which the sample may exhibit dynamically changing birefringence comprising:
- a polarization system configured to generate multiple states of polarized light which interact with a given sample that exhibits dynamically changing birefringence, wherein the polarized light oscillates between left and right circularly polarized light, with elliptically polarized light between the left and right circularly polarized light; and
,an analyzer system configured to receive the resulting signal and generate a secondary signal which can be further processed to measure levels of a substance in the sample,wherein the measured levels provide a measurement of optical activity in relation to analyte concentration.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A noninvasive polarimetric apparatus used to measure levels of a substance in a sample in the presence of dynamically changing sample birefringence is provided. A polarization system generates multiple states of polarized light which interact with the sample. An analyzer system receives a signal from the sample and generates a secondary signal. This signal is detected and then processed to measure levels of a substance in a sample that may be have time varying birefringent components.
-
Citations
41 Claims
-
1. A noninvasive polarimetric apparatus used to measure levels of a substance in a sample, in which the sample may exhibit dynamically changing birefringence comprising:
-
a polarization system configured to generate multiple states of polarized light which interact with a given sample that exhibits dynamically changing birefringence, wherein the polarized light oscillates between left and right circularly polarized light, with elliptically polarized light between the left and right circularly polarized light; and
,an analyzer system configured to receive the resulting signal and generate a secondary signal which can be further processed to measure levels of a substance in the sample, wherein the measured levels provide a measurement of optical activity in relation to analyte concentration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. A noninvasive polarimetric apparatus used to measure levels of a substance in a sample, in which the sample may exhibit dynamically changing birefringence comprising:
-
a polarization system configured to generate multiple states of polarized light which interact with a given sample; and
,an analyzer system configured to receive the resulting signal and generate a secondary signal which can be further processed to measure levels of a substance in the sample; wherein the polarization system comprises a first variable retarder modulator, a second variable retarder modulator, and a third variable retarder modulator, and the analyzer system comprises a fourth variable retarder modulator, a fifth variable retarder modulator, and a sixth variable retarder modulator.
-
-
34. A noninvasive polarimetric apparatus used to measure levels of a substance in a sample, in which the sample may exhibit dynamically changing birefringence comprising:
-
a polarization system configured to generate multiple states of polarized light which interact with a given sample; and
,an analyzer system configured to receive the resulting signal and generate a secondary signal which can be further processed to measure levels of a substance in the sample; wherein the polarization system comprises; a first variable retarder modulator having its fast axis oriented at an angle of −
45°
with respect to an initial vertical linear polarizer,a second variable retarder modulator having its fast axis oriented at 45°
with respect to the vertical position, anda third variable retarder modulator having its fast axis oriented at an angle of 0°
with respect to the vertical position; and
,wherein the analyzer system comprises; a fourth variable retarder modulator having its fast axis oriented at an angle of 0°
with respect to a vertical position,a fifth variable retarder modulator having its fast axis oriented at 45°
with respect to the vertical position, anda sixth variable retarder modulator having its fast axis oriented at an angle of −
45°
with respect to the vertical position, anda horizontal linear polarizer.
-
-
35. A noninvasive polarimetric apparatus used to measure levels of a substance in a sample, in which the sample may exhibit dynamically changing birefringence comprising:
-
a polarization system configured to generate multiple states of polarized light which interact with a given sample; and
,an analyzer system configured to receive the resulting signal and generate a secondary signal which can be further processed to measure levels of a substance in the sample; wherein the polarization system comprises; a first variable retarder modulator having its fast axis oriented at a 1st angle with respect to an initial linear polarizer, a second variable retarder modulator having its fast axis oriented at a 2nd angle with respect to the first modulator, and a third variable retarder modulator having its fast axis oriented at a 3rd angle with respect to the second modulator, and, wherein the analyzer system comprises; a fourth variable retarder modulator having its fast axis oriented at 4th angle with respect to the vertical position, a fifth variable retarder modulator having its fast axis oriented at a 5th angle with respect to the fourth modulator, and a sixth variable retarder modulator having its fast axis oriented at a 6th angle with respect to the fifth modulator, and a linear polarizer.
-
-
36. A noninvasive polarimetric apparatus used to measure levels of a substance in a sample, which may be birefringent in nature, having dynamically changing sample birefringence comprising:
-
at least one light source, at least one vertical polarizer, a polarization system configured to generate multiple states of polarized light which interact with a given sample that exhibits dynamically changing birefringence, and an analyzer system configured to receive a signal obtained by the sample and generate a secondary signal which may be processed to measure levels of a substance in a sample, wherein the measured levels provide a measurement of optical activity in relation to analyte concentration, and at least one horizontal polarizer.
-
-
37. A noninvasive polarimetric apparatus used to measure levels of a substance in a sample, in which the sample may exhibit dynamically changing birefringence comprising:
-
a polarization system configured to generate multiple states of polarized light which interact with a given sample; and
,an analyzer system configured to receive the resulting signal and generate a secondary signal which can be further processed to measure levels of a substance in the sample; wherein the polarization system comprises a first variable retarder modulator, a second variable retarder modulator, and a third variable retarder modulator, and the analyzer system comprises a fourth variable retarder modulator, a fifth variable retarder modulator, and a sixth variable retarder modulator.
-
-
38. A noninvasive polarimetric apparatus used to measure levels of a substance in a sample, in which the sample may exhibit dynamically changing birefringence comprising:
-
a polarization system configured to generate multiple states of polarized light which interact with a given sample; and
,an analyzer system configured to receive the resulting signal and generate a secondary signal which can be further processed to measure levels of a substance in the sample; wherein the polarization system comprises a first variable retarder modulator, a second variable retarder modulator, and a third variable retarder modulator, and the analyzer system comprises a fourth variable retarder modulator, a fifth variable retarder modulator, and a sixth variable retarder modulator; wherein the substance in the sample comprises a cancer cell in an animal.
-
-
39. A noninvasive polarimetric apparatus used to measure levels of a substance in a sample, in which the sample may exhibit dynamically changing birefringence comprising:
-
a polarization system configured to generate multiple states of polarized light which interact with a given sample; and
,an analyzer system configured to receive the resulting signal and generate a secondary signal which can be further processed to measure levels of a substance in the sample; wherein the polarization system comprises a first variable retarder modulator, a second variable retarder modulator, and a third variable retarder modulator, and the analyzer system comprises a fourth variable retarder modulator, a fifth variable retarder modulator, and a sixth variable retarder modulator; wherein the substance in the sample comprises a cancer cell in an animal'"'"'s skin.
-
-
40. A noninvasive method for measuring levels of a substance in a sample in the presence of dynamically changing birefringence comprising:
-
generating states of polarized light wherein phase delays are introduced in the polarized light and the polarized light oscillates between left and right circularly polarized light, with elliptically polarized light between the left and right circularly polarized light, at least partially interacting with the sample with the generated polarized light signal(s), wherein the sample exhibits dynamically changing birefringence, receiving a signal obtained by the sample and generating a secondary signal through an analyzer system, and providing a measurement of the levels of the substance in the sample by measuring optical activity in relation to concentration.
-
-
41. A non-invasive in vivo method for sensing a concentration of an optically active substance in an animal'"'"'s eye wherein the method comprises the steps of:
-
generating states of polarized light wherein phase delays are introduced in the polarized light and the polarized light oscillates between left and right circularly polarized light, with elliptically polarized light between the left and right circularly polarized light, at least partially interacting with the sample with the generated polarized light, receiving a signal obtained by the sample and generating a secondary signal through an analyzer system.
-
Specification