In-vivo monitoring with microwaves

• US 9,408,564 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University College Cardiff Consultants Ltd (Cardiff University)
• Original Assignee: University College Cardiff Consultants Ltd (Cardiff University)
• Inventors: Porch, Adrian, Beutler, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): BERHANU, ETSUB D
• Application Number:
  US13/882,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20130225960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0082 adapted for particular medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/04 Resonant antennas

Abstract

A blood glucose monitor for non-invasive, in-vivo characterization of a blood glucose level in a living body, the monitor comprising: a microwave resonator having a resonant response to input microwaves and designed such that said response will experience a perturbation by a living body in proximity or contact with the resonator; and detection means for detecting changes in said resonant response from which said level can be characterized.

Claims

1. A blood glucose monitor for non-invasive, in-vivo characterisation of a blood glucose level in a living body, the monitor comprising:

a microwave resonator having a resonant response to input microwaves and designed such that said response will experience a perturbation by a living body when the living body is in proximity or contact with the resonator; and

a detector arranged to detect changes in said resonant response from which said level can be characterised;

wherein the resonator is designed to feature a first resonance that will, and a second resonance that will not, experience a perturbation by a living body when the living body is in proximity or contact with the resonator.

2. A monitor according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the first and second resonances manifest as a peak in the response.

3. A monitor according to claim 1, wherein the first resonance experiences the perturbation as a change in one or more from a group consisting of frequency, phase and amplitude.

4. A monitor according to claim 1, wherein the resonator comprises a housing defining a space with an opening to which said body can be offered, the housing including a microwave input to the space, a microwave output from the space and a first conductive ring located within the space to produce the first resonance.

5. A monitor according to claim 4, wherein the housing includes a second conductive ring located within the space to produce the second resonance.

6. A monitor according to claim 5, wherein the second ring is located further from the opening than is the first ring.

7. A monitor according to claim 1, wherein the resonator is a double ring resonator such that the resonant response shows said first and second resonances.

8. A monitor according to claim 7, wherein the resonator has an opening to which said body can be offered to facilitate said perturbation.

9. A monitor according to claim 1, wherein the detector is arranged to measure one from a group consisting of a resonant frequency, a width, a Q-factor and a height of a resonance in said response.

10. A monitor according to claim 1, wherein the detector is arranged to measure two or more from a group consisting of a resonant frequency, a width, a Q-factor and a height of a resonance in said response.

11. A monitor according to claim 10, wherein the detector is arranged to measure the resonant frequency of a resonance in said response and one or more from a group consisting of a frequency width, a Q-factor and a height of the resonance.