Implanting optical cavity structures

• US 20080186483A1
• Filed: 02/05/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kiesel, Peter, Johnson, Noble M., Bruce, Richard H., Bassler, Michael, Schmidt, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 7,852,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/246
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1459 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/03 Cuvette constructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/0303 Optical path conditioning in cuvettes, e.g. windows; adapted optical elements or systems; path modifying or adjustment G01N21/031 - G01N21/15 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/274 Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence

Abstract

An implantable product includes an optical cavity structure with first and second parts, each of which can operate as an optical cavity. The first part includes a container with at least one opening through which bodily fluid can transfer between the container'"'"'s interior and exterior when the product is implanted in a body. The second part includes a container that is closed and contains a reference fluid. The implantable product can also include one or both of a light source component and a photosensing component. Photosensed quantities from the first part'"'"'s output light can be adjusted based on photosensed quantities from the second part'"'"'s output light. Both parts can have their light interface surfaces aligned so that they both receive input light from a light source component and both provide output light to a photosensing component.

Claims

1. An implantable product comprising:

an optical cavity structure;

the optical cavity structure including;

first and second optical cavity parts, each operable as a respective optical cavity;

each of the first and second optical cavity parts including a respective container;

the first part'"'"'s container having at least one opening through which bodily fluid can transfer between the container'"'"'s interior and exterior when the product is implanted in a body;

the second part'"'"'s container being closed and containing a reference fluid.

2. The implantable product of claim 1 in which each of the first and second optical cavity parts can operate as a Fabry-Perot cavity.

3. The implantable product of claim 1 in which both of the first and second optical cavity parts operate as homogeneous optical cavities.

4. The implantable product of claim 1 in which both of the first and second optical cavity parts operate as inhomogeneous optical cavities.

5. The implantable product of claim 4 in which the first and second optical cavity parts are tunable.

6. The implantable product of claim 1, further comprising:

a light source connected to the optical cavity structure and positioned to provide light to both of the first and second optical cavity parts.

7. The implantable product of claim 1, further comprising:

a photosensing component connected to the optical cavity structure and positioned to receive light from both of the first and second optical cavity parts.

8. The implantable product of claim 7, further comprising:

circuitry that receives sensing results from the photosensing component and uses the sensing results to obtain information about bodily fluid in the first optical cavity part'"'"'s container.

9. The implantable product of claim 8 in which the circuitry adjusts photosensed quantities from the first optical cavity part'"'"'s output light based on photosensed quantities from the second optical cavity part'"'"'s output light to obtain the information about the bodily fluid.

10. The implantable product of claim 1 in which each of the first and second optical cavity parts, when operating as an optical cavity, provides output light in a set of one or more modes.

11. The implantable product of claim 1 in which the reference fluid is a glucose solution.

12. A system comprising the implantable product of claim 1, the system further comprising:

processing circuitry that adjusts photosensed quantities from the first optical cavity part'"'"'s output light based on photosensed quantities from the second optical cavity part'"'"'s output light to obtain information about the bodily fluid in the first optical cavity part'"'"'s container.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a light source component that provides input light to both of the first and second optical cavity parts under control of the processing circuitry.

14. The system of claim 13 in which the processing circuitry controls the light source component to provide the input light so that each of the first and second optical cavity parts, when operating as an optical cavity, provides output light in a set of one or more modes.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a photosensing component that receive light from both of the first and second optical cavity parts and provides sensing results to the processing circuitry.

16. A method of using the implantable product of claim 1;

the method comprising;

implanting the implantable product in a body;

operating a light source component to provide input light to both of the first and second optical cavity parts, causing the first and second optical cavity parts to provide output light; and

operating a photosensing component to photosense output light from both of the first and second optical cavity parts.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

using the photosensing component'"'"'s sensing results from the second optical cavity'"'"'s output light to adjust sensing results from the first optical cavity'"'"'s output light.

18. A method of making an implantable product, the method comprising:

producing an optical cavity structure that includes first and second optical cavity parts, each operable as a respective optical cavity;

the act of producing the optical cavity comprising;

producing each of the first and second optical cavity parts to include a respective container;

the first part'"'"'s container having at least one opening through which bodily fluid can transfer between the container'"'"'s interior and exterior when the product is implanted in a body;

the second part'"'"'s container being closed and containing a reference fluid.

19. The method of claim 18 in which the act of producing the optical cavity structure further comprises:

producing first and second partial optical cavity structures; and

connecting the first and second partial optical cavity structures to form the optical cavity structure.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

connecting a photosensing component to the optical cavity structure.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

connecting a light source component to the optical cavity structure.

22. An implantable product comprising:

an optical cavity structure;

the optical cavity structure including;

first and second parts, each including;

a respective container;

the first part'"'"'s container having at least one opening through which bodily fluid can transfer between the container'"'"'s interior and exterior when the product is implanted in a body;

the second part'"'"'s container being closed and containing a reference fluid;

a respective light-transmissive region that includes at least part of its container;

a respective set of reflective surfaces that at least partially bound the respective light-transmissive region so that the part can operate as an optical cavity; and

one or more respective light interface surfaces at which light can enter and exit;

the optical cavity structure having at least one aligned light interface surface in which one of the respective light interface surfaces of both of the first and second parts is aligned;

when at least one of the first and second parts is operating as an optical cavity, the aligned light interface surface doing at least one of;

receiving input light from a light source, the input light from the light source entering both of the first and second parts through the aligned light interface surface; and

providing output light to a photosensing component, the output light being provided from both of the first and second parts through the aligned light interface surface.

23. The implantable product of claim 22 in which each of the first and second parts can operate as a Fabry-Perot cavity.

24. The implantable product of claim 22, further comprising:

a light source connected to the optical cavity structure and positioned to provide light to the first light interface surfaces of both of the first and second parts.

25. The implantable product of claim 22, further comprising:

a photosensing component connected to the optical cavity structure and positioned to receive light from the first light interface surfaces of both of the first and second parts.

26. The implantable product of claim 25, further comprising:

circuitry that receives sensing results from the photosensing component and uses the sensing results to obtain information about bodily fluid in the sampling container.

27. The implantable product of claim 22 in which each of the first and second parts includes first and second light interface surfaces;

in use, the first light interface surface receiving the input light and the second light interface surface providing the output light.

28. The implantable product of claim 27 in which the first light interface surfaces of the first and second parts are aligned in a first aligned light interface surface and the second light interface surfaces of the first and second parts are aligned in a second aligned light interface surface.

29. The implantable product of claim 22 in which each of the first and second parts, when operating as an optical cavity, provides output light in a set of one or more modes.